The Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice

Released : January 19, 2012

Review of Charter-School Management Organizations: Diverse Strategies and Diverse Student Impacts

At the heart of this study of charter management organizations (CMOs) from Mathematica and CRPE, is an impact analysis which found that a small number of CMOs boosted middle-school student achievement. The Think Twice review of this study finds that though it offers insights into features of successful CMOs, it overreaches when interpreting key findings from the very small, selective subset of CMOs used.

Released : January 12, 2012

Policy Brief: Creating Teacher Incentives for School Excellence and Equity

A newly released report highlights incentives that can be much more effective in attracting and retaining quality teachers than simple merit pay programs. The report shows how merit pay programs that reward teachers based on their students' standardized test scores do little to improve student achievement and offers information on other incentives that could be more successful.

Released : January 10, 2012

Review of Gateways to the Principalship: State Power to Improve the Quality of School Leaders

This report from the Center on American Progress, proposes a range of state policies for improving principal effectiveness and student achievement. The Think Twice review of this report finds that ignores existing research on the subject, lacks evidence for the approaches it advocates and sidesteps both state and professional policies that directly address the sorts of problems it purports to remedy.

Past Releases

More News Releases

Think Twice Think Tank Review Project

Think Twice is one of the nation’s first efforts to serve as a watchdog to review think tank research on public education issues and policies, ensuring that published work meets the quality and standards of university scholarship.

The goal of the Think Twice project is to provide the public, policy makers and the press with timely academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications.

The Think Twice project is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. The reviews that are a part of this project are expert third party reviews produced by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC).

More Think Twice Reviews

Policy Briefs

The Center funds policy briefs and reports on important education issues. Policy briefs and reports are written by recognized academic experts in each topic and include a summary of existing research available as well as policy recommendations. Briefs published in 2011 include:

Online K-12 Schooling in the U.S.: Uncertain Private Ventures in Need of Public Regulation
Gene V Glass and Kevin G. Welner (Policy Brief)
Justin Bathon (Model Legislation)

Policy Brief
Model Legislation

Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice
Daniel J. Losen, The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA

Policy Brief
Legislative Brief
Legislative Brief Appendices

Linking Learning to the 21st Century:
Preparing All Students for College, Career, and Civic Participation
Marisa Saunders, UCLA, Institute for Democracy, Education and Access &
Christopher A. Chrisman, Holland & Hart LLP

Report

Due Diligence and the Evaluation of Teachers:
A Review of the Value-Added Analysis Underlying the Effectiveness Rankings of Los Angeles Unified School District Teachers by The Los Angeles Times
Derek Briggs and Ben Domingue, University of Colorado at Boulder

Report

Consolidation of Schools and Districts: What the Research Says and What It Means
Craig Howley, Jerry Johnson, and Jennifer Petrie, Ohio University

Report

Adding Up the Spending:
Fiscal Disparities and Philanthropy among New York City Charter Schools
Bruce D. Baker and Richard Ferris

Report

More Policy Briefs

Worth A Read

A weekly selection of thought-provoking research and commentary focused on
education reform.

Read

Stay Informed

Enter your email address to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations.

Recommended Books

The Obama Education Blueprint: Researchers Examine the Evidence

Think Tank Research Quality: Lessons for Policy Makers, the Media, and the Public

Collateral Damage: How High-Stakes Testing Corrupts America's Schools

NeoVouchers: The Emergence of Tuition Tax Credits for Private Schooling