Idaho
U.S.
Rank
- Opportunity
- Innovation
- Policy Environment
Score:
74%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#19
A fast rising star in the charter movement in prior years, the Gem State has lost some of its luster with an increasingly power-hungry authorizer and limited expansion in a state that could easily expand more schools to more students in need.
Law passed: 1998
Most recently amended: 2019
Number of charter schools: 61
Number of charter students: 25,373
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: The Idaho Public Charter School Commission has statewide authorizing authority. Universities, non-profits, and county and state agencies may also apply to the state board of education to be authorizers. In practice, however, the commission authorizes the vast majority of charter schools in the state, and no university currently authorizes charter schools. Plus members of the statewide authorizer have become overly judgmental and were even caught making jokes about certain communities in an approval meeting.
Denied applications can be appealed to the state board of education. A second appeal is possible and the board can choose to hear the appeal or refer it to the state commission. Second appeal decision by the board or commission is final.
GROWTH: Although there are no caps on the number of schools allowed, only a few more are opening this year and growth is slow with thousands of students remaining on waiting lists.
OPERATIONS: Charters in Idaho receive waivers from most regulations, except for teacher certification and school accreditation. Charters are also their own LEAs if they are not part of a district. Idaho still requires charter school administrators to hold a certificate, thus retaining oversight by the Idaho Professional Standards Commission, but the state created a new voluntary certificate for charter school administrators to provide increased flexibility to charter schools.
EQUITY: Charter school funding is limited to state and federal money and does not receive revenues from any local taxes revenues or supplemental funds. They also receive only 85% of transportation funding. Charter schools do receive per-pupil facilities funding from the state, but that funding is less than what is available per capita to district schools. In 2019, the state legislature created a credit enhancement for charter schools that will help lower interest rates on bonds for charter school facilities.
Score:
Grade:
F
Rank:
#33
Though not a typical choice program, the Idaho Advanced Opportunities program nonetheless provides Idaho students with choices in their education through flexible dollars. When a student reaches 7th grade, he or she has $4,125 in state funds to spend on their high school education. Since the program began in 2016, the number of students taking dual credit classes has quadrupled. Funds can be used for AP exams, professional certification tests, and online or in-person courses to earn college credit, some of which are taught by high school teachers in partnership with professors. The program has been expanded this year to include workforce development and apprenticeship courses.
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#27
While “Idaho allows districts to implement a career ladder in which teachers must earn a score of proficient or better to advance from the initial residency rung to the professional rung,” the state does not give districts flexibility to set pay scales.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 68%
General Teacher Preparation 58%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 68%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 78%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 75%
Alternate Routes 60%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 77%
Hiring 80%
Retaining Effective Teachers 72%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 80%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
74%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#19
A fast rising star in the charter movement in prior years, the Gem State has lost some of its luster with an increasingly power-hungry authorizer and limited expansion in a state that could easily expand more schools to more students in need.
Law passed: 1998
Most recently amended: 2019
Number of charter schools: 61
Number of charter students: 25,373
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: The Idaho Public Charter School Commission has statewide authorizing authority. Universities, non-profits, and county and state agencies may also apply to the state board of education to be authorizers. In practice, however, the commission authorizes the vast majority of charter schools in the state, and no university currently authorizes charter schools. Plus members of the statewide authorizer have become overly judgmental and were even caught making jokes about certain communities in an approval meeting.
Denied applications can be appealed to the state board of education. A second appeal is possible and the board can choose to hear the appeal or refer it to the state commission. Second appeal decision by the board or commission is final.
GROWTH: Although there are no caps on the number of schools allowed, only a few more are opening this year and growth is slow with thousands of students remaining on waiting lists.
OPERATIONS: Charters in Idaho receive waivers from most regulations, except for teacher certification and school accreditation. Charters are also their own LEAs if they are not part of a district. Idaho still requires charter school administrators to hold a certificate, thus retaining oversight by the Idaho Professional Standards Commission, but the state created a new voluntary certificate for charter school administrators to provide increased flexibility to charter schools.
EQUITY: Charter school funding is limited to state and federal money and does not receive revenues from any local taxes revenues or supplemental funds. They also receive only 85% of transportation funding. Charter schools do receive per-pupil facilities funding from the state, but that funding is less than what is available per capita to district schools. In 2019, the state legislature created a credit enhancement for charter schools that will help lower interest rates on bonds for charter school facilities.
Score:
Grade:
F
Rank:
#33
Though not a typical choice program, the Idaho Advanced Opportunities program nonetheless provides Idaho students with choices in their education through flexible dollars. When a student reaches 7th grade, he or she has $4,125 in state funds to spend on their high school education. Since the program began in 2016, the number of students taking dual credit classes has quadrupled. Funds can be used for AP exams, professional certification tests, and online or in-person courses to earn college credit, some of which are taught by high school teachers in partnership with professors. The program has been expanded this year to include workforce development and apprenticeship courses.
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#27
While “Idaho allows districts to implement a career ladder in which teachers must earn a score of proficient or better to advance from the initial residency rung to the professional rung,” the state does not give districts flexibility to set pay scales.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 68%
General Teacher Preparation 58%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 68%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 78%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 75%
Alternate Routes 60%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 77%
Hiring 80%
Retaining Effective Teachers 72%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 80%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#11
Idaho is struggling to close the digital divide, as more than half of K-12 public and charter school students don’t have devices at home, and many teachers do not either. The Digital Divide Survey conducted by the State Board demonstrated that 28,521 students and 2,739 teachers do not have internet access, and over 12,000 teachers do not have devices.
Idaho Digital Learning Academy has over 31,000 students enrolled as of 2018. IDLA offers more than 265 course options to both public and private school students that range from core curriculum, electives, dual enrollment, and advanced placement. Students also have the option to take these courses in flex and hybrid formats.
Idaho Digital Learning partnered with Idaho Career & Technical Education to create StillStack, a platform that allows teachers to award students “workforce relevant badges” or mini certs when they demonstrate certain proficiencies. This helps to prepare students for entering the workforce in their chosen industry.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Idaho can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Idaho has a moderate level of personalized learning but not a full state effort. Two state policies have increased PL in recent years:
Idaho Mastery Education “is a student-centered learning system, codified into Idaho law” that promotes competency-based pathways. 32 schools across 15 school districts, and 3 charter schools have been leaders in using Mastery Education as a model of instruction.
The Local Innovation School Act gives schools flexibility from bureaucratic laws and policies, subsequently giving school leaders the freedom to implement personalized learning models.
Idaho was one of the last 5 states to shift to distance learning. The state issued guidance on March 23 for remote learning which suggested implementation or development of “remote learning strategies that will benefit all K-12 students in school districts and charter schools. These plans should be designed in the event that a community needs to maintain closures for an extended period or the remainder of the school year.” A website includes resources and guidance on remote learning plans.
Similar to Florida, Idaho did highlight specific districts that displayed high levels of innovation, encouraging other schools to follow suit.
Idaho did not expand technological resources directly to families, though they did use mobile hotspots to allow students to access the internet in parking lots on the campus of their schools to download resource packets to take home. See explanation on pg. 6 here.
Fast Facts
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#11
Idaho is struggling to close the digital divide, as more than half of K-12 public and charter school students don’t have devices at home, and many teachers do not either. The Digital Divide Survey conducted by the State Board demonstrated that 28,521 students and 2,739 teachers do not have internet access, and over 12,000 teachers do not have devices.
Idaho Digital Learning Academy has over 31,000 students enrolled as of 2018. IDLA offers more than 265 course options to both public and private school students that range from core curriculum, electives, dual enrollment, and advanced placement. Students also have the option to take these courses in flex and hybrid formats.
Idaho Digital Learning partnered with Idaho Career & Technical Education to create StillStack, a platform that allows teachers to award students “workforce relevant badges” or mini certs when they demonstrate certain proficiencies. This helps to prepare students for entering the workforce in their chosen industry.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Idaho can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Idaho has a moderate level of personalized learning but not a full state effort. Two state policies have increased PL in recent years:
Idaho Mastery Education “is a student-centered learning system, codified into Idaho law” that promotes competency-based pathways. 32 schools across 15 school districts, and 3 charter schools have been leaders in using Mastery Education as a model of instruction.
The Local Innovation School Act gives schools flexibility from bureaucratic laws and policies, subsequently giving school leaders the freedom to implement personalized learning models.
Idaho was one of the last 5 states to shift to distance learning. The state issued guidance on March 23 for remote learning which suggested implementation or development of “remote learning strategies that will benefit all K-12 students in school districts and charter schools. These plans should be designed in the event that a community needs to maintain closures for an extended period or the remainder of the school year.” A website includes resources and guidance on remote learning plans.
Similar to Florida, Idaho did highlight specific districts that displayed high levels of innovation, encouraging other schools to follow suit.
Idaho did not expand technological resources directly to families, though they did use mobile hotspots to allow students to access the internet in parking lots on the campus of their schools to download resource packets to take home. See explanation on pg. 6 here.
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Brad Little (R)
First term began in 2019 (no term limit)
Gov. Brad Little, a rancher with a long history of public service, was just elected in 2019, and though he has made statements that are positive about parents’ right to direct the education of their own kids, he has not taken the lead on those issues. During the campaign he spoke about families and educators needing choices and flexibility, and his opposition to top-down management of education, but we’ve seen little action. He has made public education his priority, with a major chunk of the executive budget dedicated to increasing teacher pay. A mixed bag from Gov. Little so far.
The Idaho legislature is Republican-controlled in both chambers. In 2019, they passed some small measures that provide charter schools with some increased flexibility and decision-making at the school level.
The Idaho Supreme Court has taken a restrictive interpretation of its Blaine Amendment and has used it to strike down a statute allowing transportation of private school students at public expense.
School report cards are easy to access from the Idaho DOE homepage by clicking Assessment and Accountability. Report cards are well-formatted and divided by “Academic Indicators” and “Non Academic Indicators”, making the website easy for parents to navigate and find the exact information they are searching for.
Educational options are also easily accessible by clicking School Choice on the main menu. From there, you have the option to read about charters, homeschool, private, alternative, or magnet options in the state.
School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.
Brad Little (R)
First term began in 2019 (no term limit)
Gov. Brad Little, a rancher with a long history of public service, was just elected in 2019, and though he has made statements that are positive about parents’ right to direct the education of their own kids, he has not taken the lead on those issues. During the campaign he spoke about families and educators needing choices and flexibility, and his opposition to top-down management of education, but we’ve seen little action. He has made public education his priority, with a major chunk of the executive budget dedicated to increasing teacher pay. A mixed bag from Gov. Little so far.
The Idaho legislature is Republican-controlled in both chambers. In 2019, they passed some small measures that provide charter schools with some increased flexibility and decision-making at the school level.
The Idaho Supreme Court has taken a restrictive interpretation of its Blaine Amendment and has used it to strike down a statute allowing transportation of private school students at public expense.
School report cards are easy to access from the Idaho DOE homepage by clicking Assessment and Accountability. Report cards are well-formatted and divided by “Academic Indicators” and “Non Academic Indicators”, making the website easy for parents to navigate and find the exact information they are searching for.
Educational options are also easily accessible by clicking School Choice on the main menu. From there, you have the option to read about charters, homeschool, private, alternative, or magnet options in the state.
School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.