There is a perception that charter schools in the United States enroll students with disabilities at a lower rate than traditional public schools despite federal laws that require charter schools to provide the same services as traditional public schools. This systematic review answers the question: What research exists that explores the representation of students with disabilities in charter schools and the proportionality of that representation in comparison to traditional public schools? The methodology for this review was based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses) statement for reporting systematic reviews. Conclusions from this review include the limited amount of research on the topic, the difficulty of comparing enrollment percentages between state systems, and the difficulty in determining factors affecting the enrollment of students with disabilities in charter schools.
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*Barnard-BrakL.SchmidtM.AlmekdashM. H. (2018). Enrollment of students with disabilities in charter schools: Contemporary national and state level findings. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26, 43. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.3276
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*SetrenE. (2020). A charter boost for special-ed students and English learners: Lessons in inclusion at Boston charter schools. Education Next, 20(2), 52–60.
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*WilkensC. P. (2011). Students with disabilities in urban Massachusetts charter schools: Access to regular classrooms. Disability Studies Quarterly, 31(1), 14–14. https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v31i1.1374
*WintersM. A.CarpenterD. M.ClaytonG. (2017). Does attending a charter school reduce the likelihood of being placed into special education? Evidence from Denver, Colorado. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 39(3), 448–463. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373717690830
*WolfN. L. (2011). A case study comparison of charter and traditional schools in New Orleans recovery school district: Selection criteria and service provision for students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 32(5), 382–392. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932510362220
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*ZimmerR. W.GuarinoC. M. (2013). Is there empirical evidence that charter schools “push out” low-performing students?Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 35(4), 461–480. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373713498465
