Study of Test Scores Finds Charter Schools Lagging

Here's the article in the NYT about the study I referred to in my email two days ago.  It's a reasonably balanced article, except the headline, which should read: "Study of Test Scores Finds Charter Schools Serving More Disadvantaged Students".  I'm sure that's what they were going to write, but it just didn't fit...

 

------------------------

Study of Test Scores Finds Charter Schools Lagging

By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/education/23charter.html

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 — Fourth graders in traditional public schools did significantly better in reading and math than comparable children attending charter schools, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Federal Education Department.

The report, based on 2003 test scores, thrust the Education Department into the center of the heated national debate over school choice. It also drew a barrage of criticism from supporters of charter schools, the fastest-growing sector in public education, who sent out press statements casting doubt on the report’s methodology and findings even before they were announced.

Even as the federal commissioner of education statistics, Mark S. Schneider, released the report, he said the agency should no longer put its official imprimatur on research comparing charter with public schools and leave such studies to independent researchers...