IDRA Releases Latest José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellowship Report
San Antonio (June 11, 2026) – A new report from IDRA examines how the expansion of charter schools has reshaped Texas public education, raising questions about equity, student enrollment patterns and the distribution of resources among schools.
Marketization of Education in Texas as a Trojan Horse, authored by IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow J. Toufic Chahín, Ph.D., analyzes Texas Education Agency data to investigate whether charter schools are achieving the goals outlined in Texas law, including improving student learning, encouraging innovation and expanding educational opportunities.
The study examined how charter schools and traditional public schools differ in student demographics, teacher experience, academic performance and the costs associated with educating students.
Key findings include:
- Traditional public schools serve more students who need extra help, including those in special education and emergent bilingual students.
- Traditional public schools have higher four-year graduation rates for Latino students, students deemed at risk and students in special education.
- Traditional public schools outperform charter schools on Algebra I end-of-course assessments and the ACT and SAT.
- Charter schools had higher STAAR results, except in Algebra I.
- Charter schools employ more early-career teachers, while traditional public schools employ larger shares of experienced educators and pay higher average salaries.
- The very existence of charter schools draws critically needed funds away from traditional public schools, while concentrating high-resource students in traditional public schools, which further strains school budgets.
The report concludes that, while charter schools have achieved some of the goals envisioned in Texas law, policymakers should closely examine how charter school expansion affects student demographics, school finance and access to educational opportunities.
The study recommends strengthening oversight of charter school growth, reviewing policies that affect student enrollment patterns and ensuring that traditional public schools have sufficient resources to serve students with greater educational needs.
Named the latest IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow, Chahín is a clinical professor at Prairie View A&M University and a recent doctoral graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy.
IDRA established the José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program in 2013 to honor the memory of IDRA founder, Dr. José Angel Cárdenas. The goal of the program is to engage the nation’s most promising researchers in investigating school finance solutions that secure equity and excellence for all public school students.
FAQs
What did the report find about charter school graduation rates?
The report found that traditional public schools had higher four-year graduation rates for Latino students, students identified as at risk and students receiving special education services.
How did charter schools and traditional public schools compare on college readiness?
Traditional public schools outperformed charter schools on college readiness measures, including the ACT and SAT.
How did charter schools perform on STAAR assessments?
Charter schools outperformed traditional public schools on many STAAR measures but not on Algebra I assessments.
Who authored the report?
The report was written by IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow J. Toufic Chahín, Ph.D., a clinical professor at Prairie View A&M University and recent doctoral graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.
What is the José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program?
The program supports research on school finance solutions that advance equity and excellence for all public school students.
