NCES Calls for Sticking to the Stats
Study of Charter Scores Latest to Be Questioned
In discussing a new federal study on charter schools last week, the commissioner of statistics for the U.S. Department of Education reiterated that his office should not be initiating analyses such as that one and a recent comparison of public and private schools, both of which he believes rely too much on subjective judgments.
The two studies—which used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress that were adjusted for student and school differences—reported generally favorable academic results for regular public schools when compared with private schools and public charter schools. The studies, though, did not track scores over time, and could not take into account students’ prior achievement.
Mark S. Schneider, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, said of the private school study earlier this month that it was not proper for the NCES to have directed a report that went so far in making judgments about how to...
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