Civic Performance Outcomes and Market Morality: Using NAEP to Address the Civic Efficacy of Charter Schools

Advancing civic learning and competence remains a fundamental objective in social studies education. Persistent civic performance outcome gaps, similar to other educational achievement disparities, are influenced by race, class, and other social constraints. Charter schools, known for their innovative structures and curricula, are often proposed as a solution for enhancing civic outcomes, particularly for Black and Hispanic youth. This study analyzes the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2014 and 2018 Civics Grade 8 results using a multilevel regression model to assess whether charter schools improve civic outcomes compared to traditional public and private schools. Key variables examined include race/ethnicity, school type, and teacher credentials. The findings reveal that charter schools perform comparably to traditional public schools in fostering civic knowledge and skills. Teacher time spent on civics instruction nor teacher credentials relate to student civic performance outcomes.