This week, new research underscored the importance of giving the public access to useful information about schools.
Our initial results (published in ADB’s Key Indicators) provide suggestive evidence that more than any other indicator, countries where both parents and students have access to quality information about student learning outcomes and school quality have higher average skills at age 15 (Figure 1). These investments were neither explained by a country’s income nor educational attainment of those aged 15-65.
Notably, greater educational financing (as a percentage of GDP) was not a significant predictor of improved skills. While this educational benchmarking exercise is only a start, it tends to underscore that financing alone is unlikely to help countries deliver better skills.
A ways to go
Maryland will soon have a small voucher program. But it could still beef up its school choice options.
Maryland law requires charter school teachers to hold the same teacher certification as teachers in the traditional public schools. Moreover, charter teachers in Maryland are considered part of the public school system and are included in the collective bargaining agreements negotiated by teachers’ unions. Although charter schools exist in Maryland and educate about 18,000 students per year, these laws and others have made the state unattractive to larger charter operators who feel they’re too restrictive.
Among the numerous advantages of charter schools is the ability for students from a wide range of social strata not to be limited in their choice by geographic location. While the $5 million in grants will help low-income parents and students choose their schools based on quality rather than location, the provision does not expand the choices available to middle-income families. Middle and high income families are still only able to choose through two mechanisms: buying a house in neighborhoods with good schools or enrolling in a private school.
Meanwhile…
The American higher education system is built on a mix of charter and private institutions. Does that work?
A call to end the conflict over charters in Washington State.
A study finds non-test-related benefits to attending a charter school, and draws a curmudgeonly riposte.
Montana debates charter school expansion. Mississippi debates rural charters. Colorado charter schools push for equal funding, as do charters in Ohio and Connecticut.
New research with data from Broward County, Fla.: Talented black and Hispanic students go undiscovered by gifted programs.
The case for beefing up school choice in D.C.
Quote of the Week
The courts are a terrific shield; they are not always a very effective sword.
-Barack Obama, visiting the University of Chicago’s law school.
The president makes a point for education litigants — from charter school advocates going to court in New York to teachers unions suing to stop charters in Washington State and reform critics who just wrapped up a trial in Florida — to consider.
Tweet of the Week
https://twitter.com/kportermagee/status/718572501937307649
This Week in School Choice is redefinED’s weekly roundup of national news related to educational options. It appears Monday mornings on the blog, but you can sign up here to get it Sunday. Did we miss something? Sends tips, links, suggestions and feedback to tpillow[at]sufs[dot]org.
