Welcome to According to Their Records, our new weekly email series digging into what cyber charter schools’ own documents, public records, financial filings, and performance data reveal.

Think of it as a fresh take on Waste of the Week, with a broader lens.

Over the next few months, we’ll be taking a closer look at everything from graduation rates and test scores to board documents, questionable spending habits, and more.

And today, we’re starting with something straightforward: student outcomes.

For the second year in a row, we reviewed cyber charter graduation rates and statewide test scores.

Guess what? Student achievement remains abysmal in Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools. Below, you’ll find charts breaking down cyber charter graduation rates and statewide test score performance.

---

---

While Pennsylvania’s statewide four-year graduation rate sits at 89.1%, every single cyber charter falls below that benchmark. Only a small handful come close when students are given five or six years to graduate.

The academic picture is even worse.

Pennsylvania students statewide score 49.9% proficient in English and 41.7% in math on the PSSAs. Every cyber charter school falls below those statewide averages, and in many cases, dramatically so.

You can view an individual “report card” for each cyber charter school by visiting https://edvoterspa.org/cyber-charter-report-cards.

Pennsylvania students deserve learning environments that set them up for success. When statewide test scores and graduation rates consistently lag this far behind, it raises serious questions about whether these programs are meeting students’ needs in the ways they should.

In the weeks ahead, According to Their Records will continue examining the documents, spending, and decisions behind Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools.