Share this article Share this article FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Charter schools are more cost-effective and yield a greater return-on-investment than traditional public schools in seven cities featured in a new report by a research team based at the University of Arkansas. "Making it Count: The Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Seven U.S. Cities" examines cost-effectiveness and return-on-investment (ROI) in Camden, Denver, Indianapolis, Shelby County (Memphis), New Orleans, San Antonio and Washington, D.C., finding that charter schools yield more learning per education dollars spent in each major city. Across the seven cities, on average, charter schools produce higher student achievement gains than traditional schools, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In reading, charters average 5.92 points higher – per $1,000 funded – than traditional schools, making charters 43 percent more cost-effective in reading. In math, charters average 6.26 points higher per $1,000 funded, making them 43 percent more cost-effective in math.