A Think Twice Review of:

Separating Fact and Fiction: What You Need to Know about Charter Schools

Think Twice - Feb 23, 2015

Publisher/Think Tank - National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS)

Author(s) -

The report addressed 21 "myths" regarding charter schools, which were rejected. Succinctly, the original report addressed various claims about charter schools in such areas as financial equality of charter schools, lower teacher qualifications, student selection demographics, academic outcomes, segregation, and innovation.

Reviewer(s) - Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Kevin G. Welner, University of Colorado Boulder and William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder

The reviewers found that the report’s main purpose appears to be the "repetition or 'spinning' of claims voiced by advocacy groups and think tanks that promote privatization and school choice." Furthermore, the reviewers found that it relied almost exclusively on advocacy documents rather than more careful and balanced empirical research, and provides only a superficial examination of any "criticisms" regarding charter schools. The review is organized in a format that lists each of the criticisms identified, and then provides a short commentary based on the extant research literature. Where the original document overlooked research evidence, the reviewers provide readers with a valuable tool to examine charter school criticisms.