Mike, I'm on a mobile, can' t access much now, no the answer might be just this: the lottery is partially white flight from bad neighborhoods ( they cant afford to move, but they CAN apply to a different school and partially by the mere fact that the parents CARE enough to have their kids in a better school. those left behind couldn't care less and/or uneducated and/or ELL and don' t know how to navigate the system. and yes, they don' t provide services for disabled and handicapped kids, some other categories as well which puts them in a better shape. That is not to say , yet again, that they are all bad or worse. My kid goes to a charter and we re aiute happy with it - small, white, with a lot of i volved pRents who pull the muscle and get money for arts, sports, etc. were happy, the teachers there are happy( like your sister) but that does not change the national statistics. I'll throw a vu ch pf links at' ya when I have a chance.