2012 Think Twice Reviews
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. As think tank research becomes increasingly important reference sources in public policy debates, media and other critics have called for increased scrutiny to ensure validity and objectivity (click here to see related stories).
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.
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Think Tank Research Quality: Think Tank Research Quality, edited by Kevin Welner of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Patricia H. Hinchey of Pennsylvania State University, Alex Molnar of Arizona State University, and independent researcher Don Weitzman, offers clearly written, jargon-free expert reviews of studies on topics such as vouchers, charter schools, and alternative teacher certification. Friends of The Great Lakes Center receive 20% off phone, fax or mail-in orders...not valid online. |
Recently Released
January 31, 2012
Overpaid Teachers Report from Heritage/AEI is Based on Bad Stats and Groundless Assumptions
This report claims that public school teachers are paid 52 percent more than fair market rates and also that teachers are less intelligent than other workers of comparable education and expertise. The Think Twice review of this report finds that it is based on a faulty assessment that relies on "an aggregation of spurious claims.
Reports & Reviews for 2012
| Report Reviewed: | Assessing the Compensation of Public School Teachers |
| Publisher/Think Tank: | Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute |
This report claims that public school teachers are paid 52 percent more than fair market rates and that teachers are less intelligent than other workers of comparable education and experience. |
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| Think Twice Review Date: | January 31, 2012 |
| Reviewer: | Jeffrey H. Keefe, Rutgers University |
| Keefe’s review finds that the report is based on a faulty assessment that relies on “an aggregation of spurious claims” to make its case. Keefe concludes that the study isn’t merely useless, but that it could lead to ill-informed and harmful policy decisions that could further undercut public education. | |
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| Report Reviewed: | Charter-School Management Organizations: Diverse Strategies and Diverse Student Impacts |
| Publisher/Think Tank: | Mathematica Policy Research Inc. and Center on Reinventing Public Education |
| At the heart of this study of charter management organizations (CMOs), is an impact analysis which found that a small number of CMOs boosted middle-school student achievement. | |
| Think Twice Review Date: | January 19, 2012 |
| Reviewer: | Bruce Fuller, University of California-Berkley |
| Fuller's 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. | |
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| Report Reviewed: | Gateways to the Principalship: State Power to Improve the Quality of School Leaders |
| Publisher/Think Tank: | Center for American Progress |
This report from the Center on American Progress, proposes a range of state policies for improving principal effectiveness and student achievement. |
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| Think Twice Review Date: | January 10, 2012 |
| Reviewer: | Margaret Terry Orr, Bank Street College of Education |
| Orr's review of the report finds that it 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. | |
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Previous Reports & Reviews:
Think Twice Reviews Released In 2011
Think Twice Reviews Released In 2010
Think Twice Reviews Released In 2009
Think Twice Reviews Released In 2008
Think Twice Reviews Released In 2007
Think Twice Reviews Released In 2006
Previous Weekly Reports:
Current Weekly Report
2010 Think Twice Weekly Reports
2009 Think Twice Weekly Reports
2008 Think Twice Weekly Reports
2007 Think Twice Weekly Reports
2006 Think Twice Weekly Reports
Five "Honorees" of Bunkum Awards Announced for their Contributions to Sub-Par Education Research
Two New Think Tank Reviews Published … Elsewhere
Examining the Funding and Activities of Free Market Education Think Tanks
US Think-Tanks: Casualties In The War of Ideas
Far-Right "Think Tanks" (Propaganda Mills) – Who Are Those Guys?
Let The Buyer Beware [ Executive Summary | Full Report ]
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