The Challenge of Developing Enrollment Targets by Dr. Robert Bifulco

New York’s charter school law requires that SED and SUNY set targets for enrolling and retaining students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch at rates that are “comparable” to those of the local school district or city school district. In this white paper, Prof. Roberto Bifulco (Maxwell School, Syracuse University) reflects on the proper goals of the target-setting process and offers the authorizers a series of recommendations, including the use of longitudinal, cohort comparisons; and the use of statistical confidence intervals to set enrollment targets that are appropriately flexible but not arbitrary.