Our Research Initiatives The Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is dedicated to enhancing K-12 education through rigorous research and analysis. Our initiatives aim to inform policymakers, educators, and the community about effective educational practices and policies. Cell Phone Policies in Schools: A Science and Policy Update on the Effects of Students’ Non-Academic Screen Use This policy brief reviews research on students’ non-academic screen use and emerging evidence on school phone restrictions. It finds that screen distraction can undermine learning for both device users and nearby classmates. Restrictions show promise, but the best policy designs remain uncertain. The authors recommend addressing school-issued devices, protecting student accommodations, ensuring equitable enforcement and evaluating academic, social and psychological outcomes. Learn More Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era In a new policy brief, Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era, authors Kevin G. Welner (University of Colorado Boulder), Carol C. Burris (Network for Public Education), and Preston C. Green III (University of Connecticut) warn that, without proactive legislative action, this radical transformation of states' charter sectors could be fully imposed within two years. Appendix Learn More Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance The first year of the second Trump administration has seen a radical break from six decades of federal education policy, discarding the longstanding vision of equal access and human capital development in favor of a new, and as yet undefined, approach to American educational governance. In a new policy brief, Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance, Dr. Derek Gottlieb, a leading scholar of education policy, examines the educational purposes that administration officials have publicly articulated across a variety of platforms, along with the actions that the federal government has taken over the past year to achieve its goals. Learn More The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment Critiques of public education have intensified in recent years. While public schools do indeed have real areas in need of growth and improvement, many of today’s attacks are generated and amplified by organizations seeking to manufacture crises. These narratives often ignore counterevidence, and they use deceptive language to portray the system as broadly failing, even hopeless. To examine these destructive critiques, Huriya Jabbar and Daniel Espinoza of the University of Southern California authored a policy brief, The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment, released today by NEPC. The brief identifies five core narratives used to portray a failing education system: claims of underachievement, inefficiency, inequality, lack of school choice, and indoctrination. Learn More Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States American public education faces an escalating challenge: the rise of Christian nationalism. This movement entwines politics and religion, insisting the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by rigid hierarchies under the Christian God. A new policy brief explores the political and ideological effects this movement has on education policy. Learn More Fit for Purpose? How Today’s Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education A new policy brief, Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education, by Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder and T. Philip Nichols of Baylor University, reviews research examining key pedagogical, logistical, and ethical implications of ed tech platforms for schools. The brief's analysis of these implications leads to recommendations for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers on how to govern its use. Learn More

Technology & AI Cell Phone Policies in Schools: A Science and Policy Update on the Effects of Students’ Non-Academic Screen Use Publication Date October 20, 2026 Authors Mitch Prinstein, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Corbin Evans, American Psychological Association Research Areas Technology & AI, School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This policy brief reviews research on students’ non-academic screen use and emerging evidence on school phone restrictions. It finds that screen distraction can undermine learning for both device users and nearby classmates. Restrictions show promise, but the best policy designs remain uncertain. The authors recommend addressing school-issued devices, protecting student accommodations, ensuring equitable enforcement and evaluating academic, social and psychological outcomes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect Publication Date March 11, 2026 Authors Mary Burns, Rebecca Winthrop, Natasha Luther, Emma Venetis, and Rida Karim; William R. Penuel, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Brookings Institution report synthesizes findings from a year-long study of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education, concluding that its potential harms to young people's learning and development currently outweigh its benefits. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education Publication Date October 20, 2025 Authors Amy Chen Kulesa, Marisa Mission, Michelle Croft, and Mary K. Wells; Thomas M. Philip, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Bellwether considers the role of generative AI (GenAI) in education, posing the question: When does the ease afforded by GenAI enable deeper learning, and when is ease merely a shortcut with hidden costs? Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Fit for Purpose? How Today’s Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education Publication Date September 24, 2025 Authors Faith Boninger, University of Colorado Boulder; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University Research Areas Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new policy brief, Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education, by Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder and T. Philip Nichols of Baylor University, reviews research examining key pedagogical, logistical, and ethical implications of ed tech platforms for schools. The brief's analysis of these implications leads to recommendations for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers on how to govern its use. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Learning Systems: Shaping the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education Publication Date November 25, 2024 Authors Amy Chen Kulesa, Michelle Croft, Brian Robinson, Mary K. Wells, Andrew J. Rotherham, and John Bailey; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University Research Areas Technology & AI; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent three-part report from Bellwether explores the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 education and offers recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to navigate this emerging landscape. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Spark & Sustain: How All the World's School Systems Can Improve Learning at Scale Publication Date June 12, 2024 Authors Jake Bryant, Felipe Child, Ezgi Demirdag, Emma Dorn, Stephen Hall, Kartik Jayaram, Charag Krishnan, Cheryl Lim, Emmy Liss, Kemi Onabanjo, Frédéric Panier, Juan Rebolledo, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, Doug; Clara Fontdevila, University of Glasgow; Antoni Verger, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; and Adrián Zancajo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary McKinsey & Company released a new global report on education that provides guidelines for policy reforms and governance strategies offered as promoting significant and sustained improvement in students’ learning outcomes. A review of the report, however, identified weaknesses likely to compromise the robustness of its conclusions. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good Publication Date March 4, 2024 Authors Ben Williamson, University of Edinburgh; Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder; Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new NEPC policy brief, Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good, warns of the dangers of unregulated AI in schools, highlighting democracy and privacy concerns. Authors Ben Williamson of the University of Edinburgh, and Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder, examine the evidence and conclude that the proliferation of AI in schools jeopardizes democratic values and personal freedoms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Conflict Over Parents' Rights Publication Date January 15, 2024 Authors Vivian Hamilton, William & Mary Law School Research Areas Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A vocal minority of parents has, over the past couple years, invoked the idea of "parents rights" to demand curricular and policy changes that affect not only their own children, but all children within reach of those changes. These parents have, for example, sought to alter history curricula on slavery and race, to dictate how (and whether) schools teach about sexual orientation and gender identity, to remove books in school library collections, and to set school policies relating to transgender students. Interestingly, the most vocal parents taking part in campaigns for parents’ rights tend to see themselves as standing against the state and its schools, instead of standing inside a democratic community that strives for inclusive participation, informed inquiry, and respectful deliberation among the members of the community. In a new NEPC policy brief, The Conflict Over Parents' Rights, Professor Vivian Hamilton of William & Mary Law School details the politicization of parents’ rights and specific rights and responsibilities of various stakeholders, and she explains how competing rights of parents and schools can be reasonably aligned in practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2023 Publication Date May 10, 2023 Authors Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Shelby Hagle, Charisse Gulosino, Bryan Mann, Luis Huerta, Jennifer King Rice, Amanda Glover, and Kayla Bill Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2023 provides a scholarly analysis of the characteristics and performance of publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. It reviews the available research on virtual school practices, examines recent state legislative efforts, and provides policy recommendations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Consumer-Oriented School Rating Systems and Their Implications for Educational Equity Publication Date April 12, 2023 Authors Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University Research Areas School Funding; Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Professor Powers describes the growing evidence base about these rating systems, their purpose purportedly being to help families navigate increasingly complex school choice options. One consistent research finding is that schools’ ratings, or the measures that comprise school ratings, are associated with schools’ demographic characteristics, such as students’ race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The association between ratings and demographics is stronger for status metrics (or measures of a school’s performance at a specific moment in time) and weaker but still influential for growth metrics (or measures of a school’s performance trends over time). Status metrics tend to generate lower ratings for racially diverse schools, while growth metrics tend to generate higher ratings for them. School demographics also shape the way parents and other stakeholders respond to surveys or provide descriptive comments about schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Economic Cost of the Pandemic: State by State Publication Date March 6, 2023 Authors Eric A. Hanushek; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Hoover Institution report by Eric Hanushek presents a calculation of the future learning-related economic burden resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. It projects a large and persistent economic loss by using a set of assumptions about the link between reduced student achievement levels and earnings, but in doing so fails to consider several factors. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of For-Profit Charter Schools: An Evaluation of Their Spending and Outcomes Publication Date November 30, 2022 Authors Stéphane Lavertu and Long Tran; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute examines academic outcomes in Ohio’s nonprofit and for-profit charter schools. It also explores whether differences in contracted services in for-profits appear to correlate with differences in their outcomes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Pandemic Educational Models Remain Unproven Publication Date October 17, 2022 Authors Christopher Doss, Elizabeth Steiner, Bryan C. Hassel; Bryan Mann of the University of Kansas Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary In response to unsafe conditions and school closures, families across the U.S. experimented early in the COVID-19 pandemic with new educational models. Two recent publications from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) describe two related strategies that exemplify such experimentation: microschools and learning pods. However, a review recommends that neither report should be used to guide policy and practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2021 Publication Date May 5, 2021 Authors Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Michael Barbour, Luis Huerta, and Jennifer King Rice Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2021 provides vital scholarly analyses of virtual schools at a time of increased enthusiasm for moving schooling online, nationally and internationally. The report examines the characteristics and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. It also reviews the relevant available research related to virtual school practices, provides an overview of recent state legislative efforts to craft virtual school policy, and offers policy recommendations based on the available evidence. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of 2020 Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management Publication Date March 15, 2021 Authors Laura Pomerance and Kate Walsh; Jamy Stillman and Katherine Schultz, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Technology & AI; Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary The authors of the NCTQ report reviewed over 2,400 programs, including what NCTQ terms "traditional" and "alternative" programs in two areas: clinical practice and classroom management. Only 3% of traditional programs received the highest grade for their approaches to clinical practice, signaling their compliance with the internal standards set by NCTQ. Asserting that a "positive" environment is the product of classroom management, the report offers as a major conclusion that there was a 26% increase in the number of programs that taught five specific classroom management strategies Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Remote Learning Is Here to Stay Publication Date February 15, 2021 Authors Heather L. Schwartz, David Grant, Melissa Diliberti, Gerald P. Hunter, and Claude Messan Setodji; David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary The RAND Corporation recently released a report based on a national survey of school district superintendents and charter management organization (CMO) directors (or their designees) about their experiences navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Third Way: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Schools Publication Date January 20, 2021 Authors Tressa Pankovits, David Osbourne; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Sarah Diem, University of Missouri Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Progressive Policy Institute recently published a "how-to" guide for entities such as charter management companies that seek to develop innovation schools in urban communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Creating Strong Building Blocks for Every Student: How Middle Schools Can Lay the Foundation for Rigorous High School Pathways Publication Date December 7, 2020 Authors Meg Benner and Scott Sargrad; Marisa Saunders, UCLA Center for Community Schooling, and Cynthia Estrada, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies Research Areas Technology & AI; Community Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary Creating Strong Building Blocks for Every Student: How Middle Schools Can Lay the Foundation for Rigorous High School Pathways, a recent report from the Center of American Progress, offers a set of recommendations for middle school career and technical education (CTE) programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Student Assessment During COVID-19 Publication Date October 28, 2020 Authors Laura Jimenez; Gene V Glass, San José State University, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary Student Assessment During COVID-19, a recent report from the Center for American Progress (CAP), argues that there should be no waivers of the federally mandated administration of standardized tests in spring 2021.In its report, CAP sides with the Department of Education’s policy of denying requests for waivers, and it calls for additional assessments that “capture multiple aspects of student well-being, including social-emotional needs, engagement, and conditions for learning” as well as supplementary gathering of student information. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of: Making Next Year Count: Equity in School Accountability Publication Date October 14, 2020 Authors Alex Spurrier, Chad Aldeman, Jennifer O'Neal Schiess, and Andrew J. Rotherham; Edward J. Fuller, Penn State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary The series correctly concludes that state accountability systems have not improved student achievement or closed achievement gaps over the last decade. Despite this conclusion, however, the series puzzlingly insists that state testing and accountability systems must be reinstated in 2020-21 and must focus on schools with the lowest performance levels. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Special Education and Distance Learning: Supporting Students Through the Pandemic Publication Date September 16, 2020 Authors Patricia Levesque; Elizabeth B. Kozleski, Stanford University Research Areas Technology & AI; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A brief published earlier this summer by ExcelinEd provides recommendations to education policy leaders for the delivery of special education services during the COVID-19 school closures. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Big Claims, Little Evidence, Lots of Money: The Reality Behind the Summit Learning Program and the Push to Adopt Digital Personalized Learning Programs Publication Date June 24, 2020 Authors Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher Saldaña, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Despite a lack of evidence that it is effective, the Summit Learning Program, propelled by a flood of Silicon Valley money, continues to spread. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Financial Crisis Looming for K-12 Schools? Flexibility Needed, Not Bailouts Publication Date May 6, 2020 Authors Jonathan Butcher; Jack Schneider, University of Massachusetts Lowell Research Areas Technology & AI; School Funding; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the Heritage Foundation argues that public education special interest groups, particularly teachers' unions, are detrimentally promoting excessive federal relief for education. Such spending, the report suggests, will come at the immediate expense of priorities like national defense. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public-Private Virtual-School Partnerships and Federal Flexibility for Schools during COVID-19 Publication Date April 6, 2020 Authors Jonathan Butcher; Kevin Welner, CU Boulder Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the Mercatus Center argues that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, education budgets should be reallocated toward investments in virtual schools. It describes the pandemic as presenting Americans with the opportunity to see the benefits of virtual schooling, which "could change education content delivery forever, making instruction more flexible and suited to the needs of each individual student." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Tracking and the Future of Career and Technical Education: How Efforts to Connect School and Work Can Avoid the Past Mistakes of Vocational Education Publication Date February 23, 2020 Authors Emily Hodge, Montclair State University; Shaun Dougherty, Vanderbilt University; Dr. Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary The brief examines the tension that has often arisen between the desire to link learning to post-high-school work and the desire to avoid low academic expectations for students perceived as unlikely to attend college. The brief’s authors explore the question of how schools might meaningfully support career exploration and preparation, while avoiding the tendency of prior vocational education to disproportionately sort students into distinct tracks by ethnic, racial, and/or socioeconomic characteristics. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Despite Serious Problems and a Lack of Research Support, Virtual Schools Continue to Spread as Policymakers Remain AWOL Publication Date May 28, 2019 Authors Alex Molnar, Series Editor University of Colorado, Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2019 Publication Date May 27, 2019 Authors Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Najat Elgeberi, Michael K. Barbour, Luis A. Huerta, Sheryl Rankin Shafer, and Jennifer King Rice Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary As proponents continue to make the case that virtual education can expand student choices and improve the efficiency of public education, full-time virtual schools have attracted a great deal of attention. Advocates contend that this potential for individualization allows virtual schools to promote greater student achievement than can be realized in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. NEPC researchers found, however, that the research evidence does not support this claim. This three-part brief provides disinterested scholarly analyses of the characteristics and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools; reviews the relevant available research related to virtual school practices; provides an overview of recent state legislative efforts to craft virtual schools policy; and offers policy recommendations based on the available evidence. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release How School Privatization Opens the Door for Discrimination Publication Date December 5, 2018 Authors Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin Suzanne E. Eckes, Indiana University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Hard Work and Soft Skills: The Attitudes, Abilities, and Character of Students in Career and Technical Education Publication Date June 13, 2018 Authors Albert Cheng and Collin Hitt; James Rosenbaum Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the American Enterprise Institute shows that students in Career and Technical Education programs demonstrate better outcomes than students with similar test scores in academic programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Full-Time Virtual and Blended Schools: Enrollment, Student Characteristics, and Performance Publication Date April 30, 2018 Authors Gary Miron, Christopher Shank, & Caryn Davidson, Western Michigan University; and Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder. Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This report seeks to provide relevant evidence to inform and guide options that policy makers should consider as they work to address prevalent concerns about the country’s virtual and blended school sectors. The Full-Time Virtual and Blended Schools: Enrollment, Student Characteristics, and Performance report is the sixth in an annual series of research briefs on the fast-growing U.S. virtual school sector. This year’s report provides a comprehensive directory of the nation’s full-time virtual and blended learning providers. The report finds both virtual and blended schools have not been as successful as traditional public schools. Despite this lackluster performance, virtual school enrollment has continued to grow. The report found evidence suggesting that several factors are key to the poor performance of virtual schools, including large school sizes and large student-to-teacher ratios. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release When Degree Programs for Pre-K Teachers Go Online: Challenges and Opportunities Publication Date January 17, 2018 Authors Shayna Cook; Beth Graue and Erica Ramberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Teacher Workforce; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from New America sought to explore the impact of online degree programs for early childhood (EC) educators. The report argued that online degree programs had the potential to professionalize pre-K teachers. The report claimed that flexible online bachelor’s programs could facilitate degree completion, increase the overall quality of EC educators, and raise salaries for pre-K teachers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2017 Publication Date April 10, 2017 Authors Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Charisse Gulosino, Christopher Shank, Caryn Davidson, Michael K. Barbour, Luis A. Huerta, Sheryl Rankin Shafer, Jennifer King Rice, and David Nitkin Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In the five years since the first NEPC Annual Report on Virtual Education was released in 2013, virtual education continues to be a focal point for policymakers. Proponents argue that virtual education can expand student choices and improve the efficiency of public education. In particular, full-time virtual schools (also sometimes referred to as virtual charter schools, virtual academies, online schools or cyber schools) have attracted a great deal of attention. Many believe that online curriculum can be tailored to individual students more effectively than curriculum in traditional classrooms, giving it the potential to promote greater student achievement than can be realized in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Further, the promise of lower costs—primarily for instructional personnel and facilities—makes virtual schools financially appealing to both policymakers and for-profit providers. The 2017 NEPC Annual Report contributes to the existing evidence related to virtual education, and so to debates surrounding it. It provides objective analysis of the characteristics and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools; available research on virtual school practices and policy; and an overview of recent state efforts to craft new policy. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Reimagining Learning: A Big Bet on the Future of American Education Publication Date March 6, 2017 Authors Stacey Childress and Meghan Amrofell; Jeffrey W. Snyder, Cleveland State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the NewSchools Venture Fund offered a thought experiment on how philanthropists can help accelerate efforts to reimagine school. It suggested that philanthropic investment should make a “big bet” on innovative models. It called for a total investment of $4 billion over 10 years through three key areas: (1) creating new schools and redesigning existing ones; (2) supporting targeted technology innovation; and (3) launching a campaign to foster understanding and demand for innovative education models. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools Report 2016: Directory and Performance Review Publication Date April 19, 2016 Authors Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Charisse Gulosino, University of Memphis Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary The Virtual Schools Report 2016: Directory and Performance Review report is the fourth in an annual series of research briefs on the fast-growing U.S. virtual school sector. This year’s report provides a comprehensive directory of the nation’s full-time virtual and blended learning providers. The report finds little research has examined the inner workings of these schools. Also, the report finds that students attending these schools differ from those in traditional public schools, and the school outcomes are consistently below traditional public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Marshall Jean, University of Chicago Publication Date April 17, 2016 Authors Rosa Pazhouh, Robin Lake, Larry Miller; Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A study from the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), an organization that often advocates for charter schools, attempted to provide an in-depth analysis of policy features across the states that allow for online charter schools. The report concluded that online charter schools should use a separate regulatory framework than brick-and-mortar charter schools. The report is part of a series of three, which were sponsored by the Walton Foundation. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Increasing Education: What it Will and Will Not Do for Earnings and Earnings Inequality Publication Date May 17, 2015 Authors Brad Hershbein, Melissa S. Kearney, and Lawrence H. Summers; Marvin Lazerson, Central European University and University of Pennsylvania; and Ryan Pfleger, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Technology & AI; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Hamilton Project sought to study how public investment in education will further long-term prosperity, economic growth, and individual economic security. The inquiry focused on whether or not a bachelor’s degree or higher education would increase economic prosperity and reduce economic inequality. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schooling and Student Learning: Evidence from the Florida Virtual School Publication Date October 27, 2014 Authors Matthew M. Chingos and Guido Schwerdt; Michael K. Barbour, Sacred Heart University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recently released paper from the Harvard Kennedy School attempted to compare the performance of students at the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to students in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. The paper concluded that FLVS students performed about the same or somewhat better on state tests and at a lower cost. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Updating Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Publication Date March 17, 2014 Authors Kristen Nye Larson; Marisa Saunders and Jaime L. Del Razo, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent publication from the Lexington Institute makes the claim that schools are failing to unleash the potential of Career and Technical Education (CTE). The report claims that too many CTE programs offered by today's high schools are outdated and fail to produce 21st century workplace skills. The report showcased effective CTE models underway in the U.S. and suggests elements for replication in other schools. It identified three strategies for replication: (1) partnerships with businesses; (2) improved accountability measures; and (3) innovative curriculum options. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2014: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence Publication Date March 3, 2014 Authors Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder (editor) Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Luis Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Michael Barbo Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Second annual virtual schools report cautions against unchecked expansion: As virtual education has become a focal point for policymakers interested in expanding educational choices and improving the efficiency of public education, virtual schools have attracted a great deal of attention. In 2013, the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, released the first of a planned series of annual reports on the policy issues that virtual schools raise, the available research evidence on K-12 virtual teaching and learning, and the performance of such virtual schools. The second report on virtual education in the U.S. is released today. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Determining Funding for Online Schools Publication Date October 14, 2013 Authors Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Justin Bathon, University of Kentucky Research Areas School Funding; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary How much do online schools cost? A new brief investigates the funding of online education and virtual schools and provides a new, unified conceptual approach to funding online education. As supplemental online education and full-time virtual schools become more prominent in education, policymakers must address the key challenge of determining a fair and effective way to allocate funds for these institutions. Policymakers should develop new funding formulas based on the actual costs of operating virtual schools and link funding to accountability so cost-effectiveness can be determined. Bruce Baker of Rutgers University and Justin Bathon of the University of Kentucky provide tenets of a reformed online school financing system, designed to serve as a practical guide for state and local subsidies. Model legislation, based on their recommendations, is also provided. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2013: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence Publication Date May 1, 2013 Authors Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder (editor) Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Luis Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Larry Cuban, Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Major virtual schools report uncovers underperforming schools: In the last decade, virtual schools have expanded rapidly although there is little data to support their growth. The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, released the first of a planned series of annual reports on the performance of virtual schools, the policy issues that virtual schools raise, and the available research evidence on virtual education. Authors urge policymakers to slow or stop the growth of these schools until more research is done and accountability measures can be put into place. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Teachers in the Digital Age of Digital Instruction: Creating sound policy for digital learning Publication Date April 2, 2012 Authors Luis A. Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary Teachers in the Digital Age of Digital Instruction: Creating sound policy for digital learning Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Overcoming the Governance Challenge in K-12 Online Learning Publication Date March 21, 2012 Authors Michael K. Barbour, Wayne State University Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report provides steps to move the governance of K-12 online learning from the local level to the less restrictive state level and to create a free market for corporate innovation in K-12 online learning. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Costs of Online Learning Publication Date March 5, 2012 Authors Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Research Areas School Funding; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report analyzes the cost drivers of virtual and blended-learning schools compared to traditional brick-and-mortar schools and determines that it's far cheaper for students to be education online. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Online K-12 Schooling in the U.S.: Uncertain Private Ventures in Need of Public Regulation Publication Date October 24, 2011 Authors Gene V Glass and Kevin G. Welner (Policy Brief) Justin Bathon (Model Legislation) Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This policy brief focuses on virtual schooling, the fastest growing alternative to traditional K-12 education in the U.S.. The expansion in virtual schools (especially full-time virtual schools) is taking place despite the absence of any data on the effectiveness of full-time cyber programs and with little government oversight. The authors offer recommendations for state legislators and other policymakers. These recommendations are contained in model legislation which accompanies the policy brief. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Linking Learning to the 21st Century: Preparing All Students for College, Career, and Civic Participation Publication Date April 6, 2011 Authors Marisa Saunders, UCLA, Institute for Democracy, Education and Access Christopher A. Chrisman, Holland & Hart LLP Research Areas Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A strong " Linked Learning" curriculum is a way to prepare students for both college and careers while rejecting a tracking system that provides academic preparation for some students but only vocational preparation to others. This policy brief highlights the potential of this high school curriculum reform. The first half of the brief explains the key elements of an effective "Linked Learning" curriculum. The second half translates these elements into statutory language, concretely providing the details necessary to move forward with this important reform. This policy brief is an update of the policy brief "Multiple Pathways" which was released in 2008. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Realities of K-12 Virtual Education Publication Date April 19, 2009 Authors Gene V Glass, Arizona State University Research Areas Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox!

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School Choice & Charter Schools Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era Publication Date May 27, 2026 Authors Kevin G. Welner, Carol C. Burris, and Preston C. Green III Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In a new policy brief, Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era, authors Kevin G. Welner (University of Colorado Boulder), Carol C. Burris (Network for Public Education), and Preston C. Green III (University of Connecticut) warn that, without proactive legislative action, this radical transformation of states' charter sectors could be fully imposed within two years. Appendix Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Apples to Apples: The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for 2024 Publication Date June 9, 2025 Authors Will Flanders; Benjamin Shear, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) examines publicly available test score data from Spring 2024 in Wisconsin to investigate the relative effectiveness and cost of school choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. Publication Date January 20, 2025 Authors Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Clive Belfield; Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Searching for the Tipping Point: Scaling up Public School Choice Spurs Citywide Gains Publication Date December 2, 2024 Authors Tressa Pankovits; David R. Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Progressive Policy Institute report purports to examine the impact of charter schools on the achievement of students who remain enrolled in district-run public schools. Based on the data in the report, however, it shows only a weak relationship between the presence of charter schools and increases in achievement for all students, which contradicts the report's claims. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems Publication Date November 20, 2024 Authors David S. Knight, University of Washington; David DeMatthews, University of Texas at Austin Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary NEPC’s new policy brief, The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems, synthesizes research on the fiscal impacts of charter and voucher school policies on public school systems. Authors David S. Knight of the University of Washington and David DeMatthews of the University of Texas at Austin also discuss recent developments, including the influx of voucher policies, often promoted by large philanthropic donations and messaging campaigns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Did the Emergence of Ohio Charter Schools Help or Harm Students Who Remained in District Schools? Publication Date June 19, 2024 Authors Stéphane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary Legislatures across the United States continue to pass policies to add or expand school choice. Within this context, the Fordham Institute, an advocate of school choice expansion, has published a report asserting that charter schools have not negatively affected students in traditional public schools. However, a review of this report finds that though it could contribute to the conversation, its conclusions are highly misleading. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities Publication Date January 22, 2024 Authors Alison H. Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas has maintained, in an ongoing series of reports, that charter schools suffer from inequitable funding compared to public district schools. Their latest output extends this argument, claiming that despite receiving less revenue, charters achieve better results on standardized tests, making them the more cost-effective choice. However, the same methodological flaws identified in earlier reports continue, and worsen, in this one. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of From Surviving to Thriving: K-12 Choice and Opportunity for Rural Texas Students and Teachers Publication Date December 6, 2023 Authors Matthew Ladner and Jason Bedrick; Amanda Potterton of the University of Kentucky, Annah Rogers of the University of West Alabama, and Jeanne Powers of Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Heritage Foundation recently published a report that claims increased competition has improved academic achievement in Arizona's rural public schools and that similar policies will be good for rural Texas. However, a review finds several flaws in the report's reasoning and methodology. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools Publication Date September 11, 2023 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Over the past decade, pro-charter organizations have published a series of reports claiming that funding disparities put charter schools at a disadvantage compared to public schools run by school districts. However, those conclusions are invariably incorrect due to flawed research methods. In a policy memo released today by NEPC, Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools, Mark Weber of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Policy Perspective uses the latest "charter school funding inequity" report to illustrate these fundamental research flaws, thus providing a guide for stakeholders to evaluate the accuracy and transparency of related research. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of As a Matter of Fact: National Charter School Study III 2023 Publication Date September 6, 2023 Authors Margaret E. Raymond, James L. Woodworth, Won Fy Lee, and Sally Bachofer; Joseph J. Ferrare University of Washington Bothell Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding; Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary In a recent report, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) examined charter school students' year-to-year test score growth over four years, and across 31 states. The report shows very small differences favoring charter schools and has been repeatedly trumpeted by charter school advocates as having policy significance-as weighing in favor of charter school expansion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools? Publication Date May 17, 2023 Authors David Griffith; Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers whether charter schools increase or decrease traditional public school districts’ total revenues, instructional spending per pupil, and efficiency. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Summit Charter Organization Continues to Make Unjustified Claims Publication Date May 9, 2022 Authors Anum Ali Mohammed and Adam Black; Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Summit Public Schools, a charter school organization operating schools in California and Oregon, published Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-Term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools in September 2021, detailing the success of its graduates. A review by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University examines these questionable assertions made about the performance and life satisfaction of Summit graduates. The report claims that Summit alumni graduated from college at nearly double the national average and self-reported high levels of well-being, fulfillment, and workplace satisfaction. It also reports that alumni from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds now make more than $60,000 per year on average working full time. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Effects of School Choice: Analyzing the Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Publication Date March 14, 2022 Authors Martin Lueken; Luis A. Huerta and Steven Koutsavlis, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice argues for expansion of policies that publicly fund private schools, contending that private schools could provide equal or better outcomes at lesser cost. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, & Nonpublic Dollars Publication Date January 17, 2022 Authors Angela K. Dills, Patrick J. Wolf, Corey A. DeAngelis, Jay F. May, Larry D. Maloney, and Cassidy Syftestad Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The latest in a series of reports from the University of Arkansas Department of Education unconvincingly attempts to show that charter schools are inequitably funded compared to public district schools. The report, Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, & Nonpublic Dollars, runs into several major problems according to Dr. Mark Weber of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Policy Perspective in the latest NEPC review. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Charter School Funding: Support for Students with Disabilities Publication Date September 1, 2021 Authors Cassidy Syftestad, Patrick J. Wolf, Wendy Tucker, and Lauren Morando Rhim; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent brief from the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas erroneously asserts that charter schools are shortchanged of funding for students with disabilities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Florida Versus Kentucky: School Choice Improves Public School Performance, Too Publication Date July 14, 2021 Authors Samuel E. Abrams and Steven J. Koutsavlis; Sam Abrams and Steven Koutsavlis, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Kentucky's Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions claims, with little supporting evidence, that trends from the 1990s to 2019 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that choice programs catalyze significant educational improvement. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Religious Charter Schools: Legally Permissible? Constitutionally Required? Publication Date January 25, 2021 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett; Derek Black, University of South Carolina School of Law Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute recently published a report concluding that the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue requires states to grant charters to religious organizations, including those that intend to deliver an explicitly religious curriculum that teaches religion as truth. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Third Way: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Schools Publication Date January 20, 2021 Authors Tressa Pankovits, David Osbourne; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Sarah Diem, University of Missouri Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Progressive Policy Institute recently published a "how-to" guide for entities such as charter management companies that seek to develop innovation schools in urban communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Changes in the Performance of Students in Charter and District Sectors of U.S. Education: An Analysis of Nationwide Trends Publication Date December 2, 2020 Authors M. Danish Shakeel and Paul E. Peterson; Yongmei Ni and Eunice Han of the University of Utah Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) at Harvard University recently published a research study touting improvement in the charter sector relative to district schools. The study attributes this, in part, to "enhanced charter performance." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Unleashing Educational Opportunity: The Untapped Potential of Expanded Tax Credit Scholarships Publication Date October 21, 2020 Authors Corey DeAngelis; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A Commonwealth Foundation report argues that expanding a program that uses tax credits to create vouchers for private schooling can lead to large economic gains for the state of Pennsylvania. Such gains would result from two purported benefits: increased lifetime earnings for those attending private schools on vouchers, and reduced social costs associated with crime. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Are Charter Schools Safer Than District-Run Schools? Evidence from Pennsylvania | Review of Effects of Charter School Competition on District School Budgeting Decisions: Experimental Evidence from Texas Publication Date June 8, 2020 Authors Corey A. DeAngelis | Corey A. DeAngelis and Christian Barnard; Bruce Fuller, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The first study describes how rates of reported low-incidence student infractions are lower in charters, on average. Analyses that include some statistical controls continue to yield results favorable to charters. The author concludes, “The public charter school sector advantages suggest that increasing access to public charter schools in Pennsylvania could improve school climate outcomes for students.” The second report aims to show that competition from the opening of an imagined nearby charter school can increase principals’ preference for budget autonomy and change how they allocate campus budgets to differing positions and instructional resources. The authors assert that their study offers “experimental evidence” that “anticipated charter school competition has large negative effects on school leaders’ reported spending on certain categories of support staff.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Comparing Ed Reforms: Assessing the Experimental Research on Nine K-12 Education Reforms Publication Date May 25, 2020 Authors Paul DiPerna; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice, working with Hanover Research, identifies and reviews studies that use Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) to determine student achievement or educational attainment outcomes of nine broad "education reform" areas. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report Provides Weak Justification for Expansion of Newark Charters Publication Date March 16, 2020 Authors Marcus A. Winters; Dr. Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Manhattan Institute report attempts to estimate the effects of charter school enrollment on student test scores in Newark, NJ – a city whose charter sector has been under intense scrutiny – and finds positive effects on English language and math test scores. The report deems these effects "large" as compared to other types of educational interventions. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review: Ripple Effect: How Expanding School Choice Programs Can Lead to More College Graduates and a Stronger Economy Publication Date March 9, 2020 Authors WILL FLANDERS, PHD; William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report presumes a causal chain of: raising the voucher cap from four percent to 20% → more voucher students in K-12 schools → higher graduation rates from college → higher lifetime earnings → more consumer spending → increased state and local taxes collected. The resulting benefits to Wisconsin are asserted to be $3.2 billion over 20 years. The final three steps are based on solid research, although the specific numbers are in some dispute. That is, when students graduate from college, they will have higher average incomes and will spend more, and pay more taxes, over their lifetimes. The numbers get complicated, however, when we start to consider factors like job market opportunities that can accommodate the increased percentage of college graduates. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release School Choice Advocacy Report Plays Regression Modeling Games to Make Its Case Against Public Schools Publication Date January 20, 2020 Authors Corey A. DeAngelis; Steven V. Miller, Clemson University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report jointly published by the Reason Foundation and Cato Institute argues that private and charter schools have a strong positive effect on parents’ reported satisfaction with their children's education. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report About Charters Being a "Rising Tide" Sinks Under Weight of Flawed Data Publication Date November 13, 2019 Authors David Griffith; Yongmei Ni, University of Utah Research Areas Charter Schools; General / Needs Review; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute examines whether average achievement in a school district increases as the "market share" of charter schools rises. The report argues that there is a positive competition effect. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Student Achievement in Florida's Charter Schools: A Comparison of the Performance of Charter School Students with Traditional Public School Students Publication Date June 17, 2019 Authors Robert Bifulco, Syracuse University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Florida Department of Education recently published a report consisting almost entirely of simple graphs comparing achievement levels, achievement gaps, and achievement gains on statewide tests among charter school students to those among traditional public school students. The Department's press release touted the report as showing that the state's "charter school students consistently outperform their peers in traditional public schools." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter Schools and District Enrollment Loss Do Charter Schools Cause Fiscal Distress in School Districts Do the Costs of California Charter Schools Outweigh the Benefits Publication Date May 29, 2019 Authors Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), based at the University of Washington, Bothell, recently released a series of three policy briefs on the financial impact of charter schools on nearby school districts in California. The briefs are intended to inform ongoing debates over charter school financing and expansion in the state of California. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report Advocating for More Charter School Facilities Funding Offers Scarce Rationale for Doing So Publication Date March 11, 2019 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Bellwether Education Partners contends that more funding should be given for charter school facilities. Focusing on a series of Idaho case studies, the report argues that charter schools are unfairly denied funding for the construction and renovation of their school buildings. These arguments, while focused on Idaho in this particular report, have been made with regard to charter school policies across the U.S. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release How School Privatization Opens the Door for Discrimination Publication Date December 5, 2018 Authors Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin Suzanne E. Eckes, Indiana University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Fiscal and Education Spillovers from Charter School Expansion Publication Date October 3, 2018 Authors Matt Ridley and Camille Terrier; Clive Belfield Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The paper reaches three key findings. First, due to a subsidy provided by Massachusetts law, per-pupil expenditures in the impacted public schools increased as charter schools expanded. Second, these districts appeared to respond to competitive pressures from charter schools by moving funding to inputs directly related to instruction. Third, test scores in math and English language arts in the existing public schools increased very slightly. All three of these impacts, however, disappear after six years of initial charter school expansion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Time to Change Course: Reclaiming the Potential of Texas Charter Schools Publication Date September 10, 2018 Authors Adam Jones and Amanda List; Edward J. Fuller Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report claims Texas had formerly been a leader in creating high-performing charter schools. It further claims that Texas’ past low barriers for entry into the market (i.e., ease of having an application approved by an authorizer) was a contributing factor to this success. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter Schools and the Achievement Gap Publication Date April 9, 2018 Authors Sarah Cohodes, Teachers College, Columbia University; A. Chris Torres, Michigan State University; & Joanne Golann, Vanderbilt University. Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report published by the Future of Children, a collaboration of the Brookings Institution and Princeton University, recommended the expansion of intensive school discipline practices to drive academic results. Despite charter schools performing no better than traditional public schools on average, the report found “no-excuses” charter schools demonstrate promising results. The report advanced that the practices should be expanded within and outside the charter school sector. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter School Funding: Inequity in New York City Publication Date October 10, 2017 Authors Larry D. Maloney and Patrick J. Wolf; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY) Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Department of Education Reform (EDRE) at the University of Arkansas claimed that charter schools in NYC were not being fairly funded because of a funding gap favoring district schools. The authors of the report also asserted that certain co-located schools had fiscal advantages over other charters. Unfortunately, an academic review of the report finds it to be dated and of little use for policymakers or researchers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter Management Organizations 2017 Publication Date September 6, 2017 Authors James Woodworth, Margaret Raymond, Chunping Han, Yohannes Negassi, W. Payton Richardson, and Will Snow; Gary Miron and Christopher Shank, Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) looked at the impact of charter school operating organizations. The report found that students in charter schools demonstrated slightly greater gains in performance than peers in traditional public schools, especially in charter schools operated by certain types of management organizations. The report contributes to an expansive body of existing research on charter schools by expanding on its prior work by exploring differences in charter school performance based on management organization type. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release New York Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Selective Public Schools: More Evidence that Cream-skimming is Not Driving Charters’ Success Publication Date May 8, 2017 Authors Macus A. Winters; Sarah A. Cordes, Temple University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute’s Marcus Winters released a report that explored the extent to which charter schools’ success could be attributed to “cream-skimming” from struggling public schools in New York. The report claimed that NYC’s charter schools performed better than selective non-charter public schools. The report found that the charter schools performed no differently in ELA and significantly better in math. The report concluded that the success of NYC’s charter schools could not be explained by cream-skimming. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Differences by Design? Student Composition in Charter Schools with Different Academic Models Publication Date April 12, 2017 Authors Nat Malkus And Jenn Hatfield; T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia; and Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) compared differences in approaches and demographics between and among charter school models and traditional public schools. The report used three national data sets to capture the national universe of charter schools. Using enrollment demographics at different charter school models (e.g., art focused, no-excuses, single-sex, etc.), the report demonstrated that different demographic groups attend different types of charter schools. With regard to different categories of race and ethnicity, family income, and special education status, the report documents demographic sorting as an outcome of school choice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Segregation, Race, and Charter Schools: What Do We Know? Publication Date December 18, 2016 Authors Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, Richard V. Reeves, Edward Rodriguez; Erica Frankenberg, Penn State University College of Education Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Center on Children and Families at Brookings attempted to compare various research findings on school segregation with a focus on expanding urban charter schools. The report argued that school quality is the primary determinant of student achievement, and that instead of addressing school segregation, policy should focus on improving the schools that students of color and low-income students attend. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Regulating Charter Schools Publication Date August 22, 2016 Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary As part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues, William J. Mathis examines charter school accountability. Mathis finds that despite the premise of market-based accountability, charter schools are not sufficiently being held accountable or regulated. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release School Closures and Student Achievement: An Analysis of Ohio’s Urban District and Charter Schools Publication Date June 15, 2015 Authors Deven Carleson and Stéphane Lavertu; Ben Kirshner, University of Colorado Boulder; and Matthew Gaertner, Pearson Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability; General / Needs Review Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute investigated school closures in Ohio for urban district and charter schools. The report found that test scores of displaced district students showed greater gains in math and reading relative to students from non-closed schools and that displaced charter students showed gains in math but not reading. Among the findings of the report, closed schools were attended by greater percentages of African American students from low-income families. Additionally, the report noted that displaced students performed better if they transferred to schools with higher levels of performance. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Urban Charter School Study Publication Date April 26, 2015 Authors Andrew Maul, University of California Santa Barbara Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University attempted to investigate whether charter schools generate better outcomes than traditional public schools (TPS) in urban environments. The report, part of a series of reports on the performance of charter schools relative to TPS, asserts charter schools in urban environments provide a slightly greater test score advantage than those in non-urban environments. The report utilizes a methodological approach similar to previous reports from CREDO, and finds that students in urban charter schools were estimated to score approximately 0.055 standard deviations higher on math tests and 0.039 standard deviations higher on reading tests than their peers in urban TPSs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Separating Fact and Fiction: What You Need to Know about Charter Schools Publication Date February 22, 2015 Authors Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Kevin G. Welner, University of Colorado Boulder and William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release No Excuses Charter Schools: A Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence Publication Date January 19, 2015 Authors Albert Cheng, Collin Hitt, Brian Kasida, & Jonathan N. Mill; Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The authors of this working paper declared that students attending No Excuses charter schools had significantly improved math and reading scores. No Excuses schools feature high academic standards, strict disciplinary codes, extended instructional time, and targeted supports for low-performing students. The hope is that by having high standards for academics and discipline, No Excuses schools will help close the achievement gap between minority students and their White peers. The authors used findings from 10 studies that utilized experimental methods to estimate achievement outcomes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release A Meta-Analysis of the Literature on the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement Publication Date September 29, 2014 Authors Julian R. Betts & Y. Emily Tang; Francesca López, University of Arizona Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) attempted to examine whether charter schools have a positive effect on student achievement. The report reviewed 52 studies selected by the authors and found charters to be serving students well, particularly in math. The CRPE report is an update of prior reports that examine the achievement of charter schools as compared to traditional public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Seeds of Achievement: AppleTree’s Early Childhood D.C. Charter Schools Publication Date September 15, 2014 Authors C. Stillings Candal; W. Steven Barnett and Cynthia E. Lamy, National Institute for Early Education Research Research Areas Charter Schools; Early Childhood Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report, funded by the Pioneer Institute and written by Cara Stillings Candal, presents a case, based on anecdotes and basic data, that the AppleTree model, a well-regarded early childhood program in the Washington D.C. area, is “unusually effective” and should be replicated across the nation. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Productivity of Public Charter Schools Publication Date August 18, 2014 Authors Meagan Batdorff, Larry Maloney, Jay F. May, Sheree T. Speakman, Patrick J. Wolf, Albert Cheng; Gene V. Glass, University of Colorado Boulder and Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The authors of the report claim that this is the first national study of productivity of charter schools relative to traditional public schools. The report utilizes finding from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and “revenues received” to support that charter schools spend less per pupil than traditional public schools and produce achievement as good or superior to that of traditional public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release New York City's Children First: Lessons in School Reform Publication Date June 2, 2014 Authors Maureen Kelleher; Randal Reback, Barnard College Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for American Progress summarizes and evaluates the public education reforms during the Bloomberg mayoral era in NYC. The report suggests that positive change resulted from the Children First reforms and makes several policy recommendations. The report describes four aspects of reform during the Bloomberg era, and makes recommendations for NYC and other urban districts. It focuses on top-down school reforms from the mayor's office, rather than on instructional changes inside classrooms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas Publication Date May 19, 2014 Authors Meagan Batdorff, Larry Maloney, Jay F. May, Sheree T. Speakman, Patrick J. Wolf, Albert Cheng; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The authors of the report claim large and growing inequities between district funding provided through state, local, federal and other sources and charter school revenues from those same sources, even after accounting for differences in student needs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Effect of Co-locations on Student Achievement in NYC Public Schools Publication Date April 14, 2014 Authors Marcus A. Winters; Tina Trujillo and Marialena Rivera, UC-Berkeley Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report from the Manhattan Institute investigated the effect of colocations of charter schools and traditional public schools on a narrow range of standardized test scores. It focused on students' test scores and looked at fourth through eighth grade ELA and math standardized assessment gains. Colocation was not found to have a significant impact on students' test scores. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release A New Frontier: Utilizing Charter Schooling to Strengthen Rural Education Publication Date March 12, 2014 Authors Andrew Smarick; Craig Howley, Ohio University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent document from Bellwether Education Partners argues for expanding charter schools into rurally populated states. It recommends opening the rural charter market and removing barriers to expansion. It highlights several state-level policy recommendations and offers five directives to policymakers: (1) replace barriers to growth with smart, flexible policies; (2) provide flexibility from teacher certification rules; (3) provide fair funding; (4) make facilities accessible; and (5) leverage technology. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Should Charter Schools Pay Rent? Implications for Staffing and Growth Publication Date February 19, 2014 Authors Stephen Eide; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report from the Manhattan Institute examined the potential impact of requiring co-located charter schools to pay rent in NYC. The report reflects concerns of charter advocates and operators regarding potential policy changes under Bill de Blasio, New York's new mayor. The report claims that charging rent to co-located charters in NYC would have triggered an average budget deficit of 10.7 percent at those schools. The report also proposes that paying rent could cripple the co-located charters' growth in NYC. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release National Charter School Study 2013 Publication Date July 15, 2013 Authors Andrew Maul, University of Colorado Boulder Abby McClelland, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University examined charter schools in 26 states and New York City. Its primary findings were: (a) a small positive effect of being in a charter school on reading scores and no impact on math scores; and (b) a relative improvement in average charter school quality since CREDO’s 2009 study. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release KIPP Middle Schools: Impacts on Achievement and Other Outcomes Publication Date April 29, 2013 Authors Gregory Camilli, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent study from Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) suggests that KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) charter middle schools may actually boost test-score growth by as much as eight months to eleven months over a three year period. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release What Does It Take to Scale Up Innovations? An Examination of Teach For America, Harlem Children’s Zone, and the Knowledge is Power Program Publication Date March 13, 2013 Authors Ben Levin, University of Toronto Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Policy Brief Summary What Does It Take to Scale Up Innovations? A new brief investigates whether innovations are scalable and able to make a difference widely, using three commonly proposed innovations as examples. Ben Levin, University of Toronto, analyzes Teach For America (TFA), KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), and the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), which has already spawned the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods program. Levin determined that there are barriers and opportunities to the scalability of these programs. The brief cautions policymakers to avoid the temptation of proclaiming small-scale innovative programs as solutions to large-scale problems in education. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter School Performance in Michigan Publication Date February 11, 2013 Authors Andrew Maul, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The CREDO researchers analyzed differences in student performance at charter schools and traditional public schools in Michigan. Charter advocates trumpeted the new CREDO Michigan study as a “smashing success” for charter schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Spending by the Major Charter Management Organizations: Comparing Charter School and Local Public District Financial Resources in New York, Ohio, and Texas. Publication Date May 2, 2012 Authors Bruce D. Baker Rutgers University Ken Libby and Kathryn Wiley, University of Colorado Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Policy Brief Summary New Report Analyzes Charter School Finances in New York, Ohio and Texas to Determine How Much Is Spent By Prominent Charter School Operators Bruce Baker of Rutgers University, along with Ken Libby and Katy Wiley of the University of Colorado, prepared the research brief for the National Education Policy Center. The brief was funded in part by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice and the Albert Shanker Institute. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charting Equality: Using Charter School Legislation and Policy to Advance Equal Educational Opportunity Publication Date February 20, 2012 Authors Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Preston C. Green III, Pennsylvania State University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Policy Brief Summary The expansion of charter schools has led to classrooms being more segregated today than they were 30 years ago, according to this new policy brief. The brief provides policymakers with detailed recommendations on how to ensure all students have access to a quality education. Accompanying this brief is a companion report which offers model legislation to carry out the author’s recommendations contained in the policy brief. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charting Equality: Using Charter School Legislation and Policy to Advance Equal Educational Opportunity Publication Date February 20, 2012 Authors Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Preston C. Green III, Pennsylvania State University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Policy Brief Summary 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter-School Management Organizations: Diverse Strategies and Diverse Student Impacts Publication Date January 18, 2012 Authors Bruce Fuller, University of California-Berkley Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charting New Territory: Tapping Charter Schools to Turn Around the Nation’s Dropout Factories Publication Date September 12, 2011 Authors Tina Trujillo, University of California, Berkley Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report advocates for turning struggling public schools into charter schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Going Exponential: Growing the Charter School Sector's Best Publication Date April 20, 2011 Authors David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report argues that charters schools should be expanded rapidly and exponentially and uses the growth of molds, viruses and companies such as Starbucks as models for charter sector growth. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Reform With Results for New Jersey Schools Publication Date February 9, 2011 Authors Alan R. Sadovnik, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report presents findings on the effectivenss of New Jersey's Abbott v. Burke court decisions. The report argues that the reforms ordered by the court have failed to increase student achievement despite what it terms dramatic spending increases. Based on this, the report argues for instituting such reforms as charters schools, changes to union contracts and vouchers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter Schools: A Report on Rethinking the Federal Role in Education Publication Date January 19, 2011 Authors Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report summarizes evidence from five studies of student achievement in popular urban charter schools and two studies on charter school revenues and combines it with the authors' judgment and experience to make recommendations regarding the federal role in charter schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Equal or Fair? A Study of Revenues and Expenditures in American Charter Schools Publication Date June 28, 2010 Authors Gary Miron and Jessica L. Urschel Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This report is the most comprehensive to date on the question of whether charter schools are inadequately funded compared with traditional public schools. Miron and Urschel find that though charter schools typically do get less funding than traditional public schools, this is primarily because traditional schools have additional obligations including special education, student support services, food and transportation services which charter schools do not provide (or spend less on). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Urban School Decentralization and the Growth of "Portfolio Districts:" Publication Date June 1, 2010 Authors Kenneth J. Saltman, DePaul University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This policy brief focuses on the portfolio approach to school reform being used in an increasing number of large urban districts including New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. This approach has been promoted by education reform theorists and some in the Obama administration as a vital and necessary solution to the problems, especially, of urban districts despite the fact that it has unclear advantages, no proof of past success and known high costs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter School Autonomy: A Half-Broken Promise Publication Date May 25, 2010 Authors Charisse Gulosino, University of Massachusetts-Boston Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report argues that autonomy is a prerequisite for there to be innovative, effective charter schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Fix the City Schools: Moving All Schools to Charter-Like Autonomy Publication Date April 14, 2010 Authors Katrina E. Bulkley, Montclair State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report argues for the decentralization of urban school districts and cites increased student achievement in post-Katrina New Orleans as support for city schools moving toward a "portfolio" of schools model. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Connecticut's Charter School Law and Race to the Top Publication Date March 9, 2010 Authors Robert Bifulco, Syracuse University Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report argues for lifting the charter school cap and increasing funding for charter schools in Connecticut. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Schools without Diversity: Education Management Organizations, Charter Schools, and the Demographic Stratification of the American School System Publication Date February 8, 2010 Authors Gary Miron, Jessica L. Urschel, William J. Mathis,* and Elana Tornquist Dept. of Educational Leadership, Research & Technology College of Education Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This report, which is a comprehensive examination of enrollment patterns in charter schools operated by Education Management organizations (EMOs), finds that charter schools run by EMOs are segregated by race, family income, disabilities and English language learner status as compared with their local public schools districts. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Everyone Wins: How Charter Schools Benefit All New York City Public School Students Publication Date November 16, 2009 Authors Patrick McEwan, Wellesley College Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report looks at the competition effects of New York City's charter schools and concludes that "students benefit academically when their public school is exposed to competition from a charter." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release How New York City's Charter Schools Affect Achievement Publication Date November 11, 2009 Authors Sean Reardon, Stanford University Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report estimates the effects on student achievement of attending a New York City charter school rather than a traditional public school. A key finding compares the cumulative effect of attending a New York City charter school for 9 years to the magnitude of average test score differences between students in Harlem and the wealthy New York community of Scarsdale. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States Publication Date June 23, 2009 Authors Gary Miron and Brooks Applegate, Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report involved a large scale analysis of 65-70% of the nation’s charter schools and found that average charter performance is equal to, or perhaps lower than, the performance of traditional public schools. Miron¡Çs and Applegate¡Çs review of the report finds that the solid analytic approach employed and the comprehensive data set used make the report a valuable addition to the body of charter school research. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration and Competition Publication Date May 26, 2009 Authors Derek C. Briggs Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report on charter schools in eight states generally finds that charters have had only modest or insignificant effects on such things as student achievement, student attainment, integration and public school competition. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Impact of Milwaukee Charter Schools on Student Achievement Publication Date May 4, 2009 Authors Robert Bifulco, Syracuse University Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report finds that there are no math achievement gains and small gains in reading in students who attend Milwaukee charter schools when compared to traditional public schools. The report also found that there is no evidence that the presence of charter schools influences that performance in traditional public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Public Charter Schools: A Great Value for Ohio’s Public Education System Publication Date December 9, 2008 Authors Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report purports to show that charter schools in Ohio are unfairly underfunded relative to traditional public schools. It also claims that districts gain revenue for each student who attends a charter school and that there would be a net loss of revenues for districts if charter schools were closed. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release What Do We Know About the Outcomes of KIPP Schools? Publication Date November 9, 2008 Authors Jeffrey R. Henig, Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Students Achievement in Philadelphia Publication Date May 6, 2007 Authors Derek Briggs, University of Colorado at Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary These two reports examine the impact of private and district management on student achievement in Philadelphia. In 2002, Philadelphia restructured 86 of its lowest-achieving schools and shifted the management of some of them to private companies. The RAND-RFA report concludes that private management has had no impact on math or reading achievement, while district management had a positive effect on math achievement but none on ready. The PEPG report reached virtually the opposite conclusion. It found that private management has had a positive effect on math and reading achievement, while district management has had no measurable effect. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release On the Public-Private School Achievement Debate Publication Date August 29, 2006 Authors Christopher Lubienski and Sarah Theule Lubienski, University of Illinois Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Lubienskis’ review of the report finds that the evidence and claims made in the report are critically flawed. Among other things, the researchers did not control for key student demographic data and student-reported data neglected to include key information. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Financial Impact of Ohio’s Charter Schools Publication Date July 31, 2006 Authors Gene V Glass, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report claims that charter schools in the “Big Eight” urban school districts in Ohio are producing greater student achievement gains, increasing revenues for traditional public schools, and operating at lower costs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Trends in Charter School Authorizing Publication Date May 10, 2006 Authors Ernest House, University of Colorado Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report surveyed charter school authorizers to explore how they rated on factors that the report’s authors considered important. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Playing to Type? Mapping the Charter School Landscape Publication Date May 10, 2006 Authors Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report developed a unique typology to compare charter schools types by their enrollment, demographic background of students and performance. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

School Climate Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place? Disentangling the Intersections of Student Behavior, School Discipline, and School Safety in the Post-COVID Era Publication Date May 19, 2025 Authors Richard O. Welsh, Vanderbilt University; Kathryn James McGraw, Vanderbilt University Research Areas School Climate & Student Support; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new policy brief addresses growing concerns about student behavior, educators' perceptions of that behavior, and the management of perceived misbehavior in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues, already urgent before the pandemic, have intensified as schools contend with increased need, trauma, and behavioral challenges. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Suspended Reality: The Impact of Suspension Policy on Student Safety Publication Date December 6, 2021 Authors Will Flanders and Ameillia Wedward; Kathryn E. Wiley, University of Colorado Boulder; Kate Somerville, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Climate & Student Support Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) report suggests a relationship between school suspension rates and some students' perceptions of safety in Milwaukee schools. Its conclusion-which was examined in a new review-claims a causal chain that begins with unpunished misconduct in schools and ends with disruptive classroom environments that harm primarily African American students. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Child Safety Accounts: Protecting Our Children through Parental Freedom Publication Date March 30, 2020 Authors Vicki Alger and Timothy Benson; Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos and Gabriella Garriga of Trinity University Research Areas School Climate & Student Support; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Heartland Institute report argues for Child Safety Account (CSA) programs that would enable parents to access taxpayer dollars by asserting that their child feels unsafe in school. The CSA money could be used by the parents to transfer the child to another school, be it public, private, magnet, charter, or homeschool. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Investing for “Impact” or Investing for Profit? Social Impact Bonds, Pay for Success, and the Next Wave of Privatization of Social Services Publication Date February 3, 2020 Authors Martin Carnoy, Stanford University; Roxana Marachi, San José State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Climate & Student Support; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Is there a role for private investors in public social policy? In the past decade, we have seen the rise of new financial structures entering the social services arena, with corresponding legislation now poised to change how social services are delivered and who delivers them. While different programs use different terms—including, for example, Pay for Success or Results-Based Financing—the umbrella term encompassing these new financing models is the "Social Impact Bond" (SIB). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Starts and Stumbles of Restorative Justice in Education: Where Do We Go from Here? Publication Date January 13, 2020 Authors Anne Gregory, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Katherine R. Evans, Ph.D., Eastern Mennonite University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; School Climate & Student Support Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Schools are implementing Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) initiatives across the United States, often to reduce the use of out-of-school suspension, which is known to increase the risk for dropout and arrest. Many RJE initiatives also aim to strengthen social and emotional competencies, reduce gender and racial disparities in discipline, and increase access to equitable and supportive environments for students from marginalized groups. Yet whether these benefits emerge depends on whether the reforms are well implemented. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - Addressing School Environment and Safety for LGBT Students Publication Date May 22, 2013 Authors William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder Research Areas School Climate & Student Support Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research. Citing well-settled legal mandates, the brief makes it clear that school district employees must provide a safe and supporting learning environment for all students. The brief highlights a previous legislative brief authored by Stuart Biegel and Sheila James Kuehl, a collaboration between the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) and the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, with financial support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Safe at School: Addressing the School Environment and LGBT Safety through Policy and Legislation Publication Date September 29, 2010 Authors Stuart Biegel & Sheila James Kuehl Research Areas School Climate & Student Support Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Safe at School: Addressing the School Environment and LGBT Safety through Policy and Legislation, presents a series of recommendations and model legislation to make public schools safer for LGBT students. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

School Leadership Cell Phone Policies in Schools: A Science and Policy Update on the Effects of Students’ Non-Academic Screen Use Publication Date October 20, 2026 Authors Mitch Prinstein, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Corbin Evans, American Psychological Association Research Areas Technology & AI, School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This policy brief reviews research on students’ non-academic screen use and emerging evidence on school phone restrictions. It finds that screen distraction can undermine learning for both device users and nearby classmates. Restrictions show promise, but the best policy designs remain uncertain. The authors recommend addressing school-issued devices, protecting student accommodations, ensuring equitable enforcement and evaluating academic, social and psychological outcomes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release From Washington, DC, to the States: Rethinking Head Start (Heritage Foundation, June 2026) Publication Date October 15, 2026 Authors W. Steven Barnett and Morgan Healy, Rutgers University Research Areas Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary Report offers false and misleading claims, superficial comparisons to other programs, and ideologically predetermined policy recommendations to support its claims that Head Start fails children and taxpayers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Navigating the Math Wars: A Practical Guide to the Divides and Debates Influencing Math Instruction Publication Date July 28, 2026 Authors Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce; Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The review examines current debates over math instruction and argues that a report intended to clarify them instead reinforces polarization and lacks sufficient nuance about classroom practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era Publication Date May 27, 2026 Authors Kevin G. Welner, Carol C. Burris, and Preston C. Green III Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In a new policy brief, Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era, authors Kevin G. Welner (University of Colorado Boulder), Carol C. Burris (Network for Public Education), and Preston C. Green III (University of Connecticut) warn that, without proactive legislative action, this radical transformation of states' charter sectors could be fully imposed within two years. Appendix Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance Publication Date April 20, 2026 Authors Derek Gottlieb Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary The first year of the second Trump administration has seen a radical break from six decades of federal education policy, discarding the longstanding vision of equal access and human capital development in favor of a new, and as yet undefined, approach to American educational governance. In a new policy brief, Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance, Dr. Derek Gottlieb, a leading scholar of education policy, examines the educational purposes that administration officials have publicly articulated across a variety of platforms, along with the actions that the federal government has taken over the past year to achieve its goals. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of NEPC Review: Estimating the LongRun Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi Publication Date February 23, 2026 Authors Martin Lueken and Michael Q. McShan; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice estimates the long-term economic returns of a universal education savings account (ESA) policy in Mississippi. ESA policies provide taxpayer dollars to households that decline to send their children to public schools, allowing those funds to be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses. As ESAs and similar school choice programs expand rapidly across the country, rigorous research is essential to inform sound, evidence-based policymaking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation Publication Date January 28, 2026 Authors Christopher Cleveland, Brown University; Joshua Almes, Brown University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent New America report argues that states can advance educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. While the analysis has some methodological limitations, it offers policymakers a useful framework for understanding how existing district lines shape unequal access to resources. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Outmatched: Special Education Can't Solve Problems Rooted in the Education Delivery System Publication Date January 21, 2026 Authors Ashley Jochim and Alexander Kurz; Federico Waitoller, University of Illinois Chicago Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary While special education in the United States has advanced civil rights and educational equity, persistent concerns about inequity, labeling, and segregation remain. A recent Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) report proposes a dramatic restructuring of special education, arguing that rising identification rates and persistent achievement gaps stem from a general education system built for uniformity rather than diversity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States Publication Date November 3, 2025 Authors Kevin Burke, University of Georgia; Heidi Hadley, Auburn University Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Policy Brief Summary American public education faces an escalating challenge: the rise of Christian nationalism. This movement entwines politics and religion, insisting the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by rigid hierarchies under the Christian God. A new policy brief explores the political and ideological effects this movement has on education policy. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Fit for Purpose? How Today’s Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education Publication Date September 24, 2025 Authors Faith Boninger, University of Colorado Boulder; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University Research Areas Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new policy brief, Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education, by Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder and T. Philip Nichols of Baylor University, reviews research examining key pedagogical, logistical, and ethical implications of ed tech platforms for schools. The brief's analysis of these implications leads to recommendations for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers on how to govern its use. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place? Disentangling the Intersections of Student Behavior, School Discipline, and School Safety in the Post-COVID Era Publication Date May 19, 2025 Authors Richard O. Welsh, Vanderbilt University; Kathryn James McGraw, Vanderbilt University Research Areas School Climate & Student Support; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new policy brief addresses growing concerns about student behavior, educators' perceptions of that behavior, and the management of perceived misbehavior in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues, already urgent before the pandemic, have intensified as schools contend with increased need, trauma, and behavioral challenges. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends Publication Date April 23, 2025 Authors Nat Malkus; Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent American Enterprise Institute report does a good job of identifying and describing long-term trends in student performance using national and international assessment data. However, a review finds that the report then falls short in its attempts to analyze and understand the factors driving these trends. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Let's Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let's Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be Publication Date March 10, 2025 Authors Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University; A. Lin Goodwin, Boston College Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A professionalized teaching workforce is key to strong educational opportunities, improved student outcomes, and broader societal benefits. However, recent policies aimed at improving teacher quality have had unintended consequences-eroding teacher autonomy, increasing workload, standardizing curriculum and assessment, and fostering public distrust. In NEPC's new policy brief, Let's Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let's Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be, authors Emilie Mitescu Reagan of Claremont Graduate University and A. Lin Goodwin of Boston College examine the ongoing evolution of teachers' professional status. The brief explores how educators can navigate the constantly shifting societal perceptions of their profession. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era Publication Date January 27, 2025 Authors Sofoklis Goulas; Sally A. Nuamah, Northwestern University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, it provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? Publication Date December 9, 2024 Authors Jay Carter and Leonardo Restrepo; James Noonan, Salem State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Urban Institute report examines proposed legislation in North Carolina that would add a "proportionality score" to the state accountability system, measuring how closely a school’s racial demographics match those of the surrounding county. James Noonan of Salem State University reviewed School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? and found it to be logical but somewhat under-explained. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Learning Systems: Shaping the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education Publication Date November 25, 2024 Authors Amy Chen Kulesa, Michelle Croft, Brian Robinson, Mary K. Wells, Andrew J. Rotherham, and John Bailey; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University Research Areas Technology & AI; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent three-part report from Bellwether explores the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 education and offers recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to navigate this emerging landscape. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems Publication Date November 20, 2024 Authors David S. Knight, University of Washington; David DeMatthews, University of Texas at Austin Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary NEPC’s new policy brief, The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems, synthesizes research on the fiscal impacts of charter and voucher school policies on public school systems. Authors David S. Knight of the University of Washington and David DeMatthews of the University of Texas at Austin also discuss recent developments, including the influx of voucher policies, often promoted by large philanthropic donations and messaging campaigns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Systemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools' Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement Publication Date November 6, 2024 Authors Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, David Stuit, Margot Plotz, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske; Robert Shand, American University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver attempts to assess the effect of a "portfolio district strategy" on student performance in the Denver Public Schools. As was the case with its 2022 predecessor (reviewed here), advocates for portfolio reforms have trumpeted the new study as showing that this "portfolio" package of reforms has a positive and large impact on student outcomes. The review, however, concludes that the study lacks the ability to so definitively link Denver's improved outcomes to these particular reforms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Ohio Charter Schools After the Pandemic: Are Their Students Still Learning More Than They Would in District Schools? Publication Date September 23, 2024 Authors Stephane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report contends that the state's charter schools have outperformed traditional public schools and implies that they merit continued or expanded state investment. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Broken Pipeline: Advanced Education Policies at the Local Level Publication Date July 17, 2024 Authors Adam Tyner; Eunice S. Han, University of Utah Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Thomas B. Fordham Institute report describes current policies and practices at the district level across the U.S. that are designed to provide what the report calls advanced and gifted education. A review of the report determines, however, that its conclusions and policy suggestions lack validity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of 'So Hard, but So Rewarding:' How School System Leaders are Scaling up Strategic School Staffing Models Publication Date July 10, 2024 Authors Lisa Chu, Lydia Rainey, & Steven Weiner; Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stonehill College Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary Following the pandemic, pervasive challenges have plagued the teaching profession, including teacher shortages, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and attrition. A new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education proposes what it calls "strategic school staffing models" as a solution, though its evidence for this conclusion is lacking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Spark & Sustain: How All the World's School Systems Can Improve Learning at Scale Publication Date June 12, 2024 Authors Jake Bryant, Felipe Child, Ezgi Demirdag, Emma Dorn, Stephen Hall, Kartik Jayaram, Charag Krishnan, Cheryl Lim, Emmy Liss, Kemi Onabanjo, Frédéric Panier, Juan Rebolledo, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, Doug; Clara Fontdevila, University of Glasgow; Antoni Verger, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; and Adrián Zancajo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary McKinsey & Company released a new global report on education that provides guidelines for policy reforms and governance strategies offered as promoting significant and sustained improvement in students’ learning outcomes. A review of the report, however, identified weaknesses likely to compromise the robustness of its conclusions. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Potential for Land Use and Housing Reform to Address School Segregation and Educational Opportunity Publication Date February 12, 2024 Authors Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Virginia Commonwealth University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Housing, land use, and zoning policies are often siloed in such a way that they are considered and addressed separately from school segregation and students' opportunities to learn. But these policy areas can interact in powerful ways. Professor Genevieve Siegel-Hawley of Virginia Commonwealth University explores how in a new NEPC policy brief, The Potential for Land Use and Housing Reform to Address School Segregation and Educational Opportunity, in which she examines the potential of housing and land use policy reform to address school segregation. Professor Siegel-Hawley describes the key role that has been played by discriminatory land use planning and zoning regulations. These laws contributed to the unequal wealth distribution currently afflicting the nation, and those inequities-as well as those laws themselves-now shape access to an array of public goods, including schools. Neighborhood-based school assignment creates a direct link between segregated housing and segregated schools. More positively, zoning initiatives in recent years have proliferated to roll back the use of land for exclusionary purposes, with important implications for schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Conflict Over Parents' Rights Publication Date January 15, 2024 Authors Vivian Hamilton, William & Mary Law School Research Areas Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A vocal minority of parents has, over the past couple years, invoked the idea of "parents rights" to demand curricular and policy changes that affect not only their own children, but all children within reach of those changes. These parents have, for example, sought to alter history curricula on slavery and race, to dictate how (and whether) schools teach about sexual orientation and gender identity, to remove books in school library collections, and to set school policies relating to transgender students. Interestingly, the most vocal parents taking part in campaigns for parents’ rights tend to see themselves as standing against the state and its schools, instead of standing inside a democratic community that strives for inclusive participation, informed inquiry, and respectful deliberation among the members of the community. In a new NEPC policy brief, The Conflict Over Parents' Rights, Professor Vivian Hamilton of William & Mary Law School details the politicization of parents’ rights and specific rights and responsibilities of various stakeholders, and she explains how competing rights of parents and schools can be reasonably aligned in practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools Publication Date September 11, 2023 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Over the past decade, pro-charter organizations have published a series of reports claiming that funding disparities put charter schools at a disadvantage compared to public schools run by school districts. However, those conclusions are invariably incorrect due to flawed research methods. In a policy memo released today by NEPC, Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools, Mark Weber of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Policy Perspective uses the latest "charter school funding inequity" report to illustrate these fundamental research flaws, thus providing a guide for stakeholders to evaluate the accuracy and transparency of related research. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Section 504 Plans: Examining Inequitable Access and Misuse Publication Date June 7, 2023 Authors Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Raquel Muñiz, Boston College Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In a policy brief released today by NEPC, Section 504 Plans: Examining Inequitable Access and Misuse, Maria M. Lewis of Penn State University and Raquel Muñiz of Boston College present research and emerging trends that should inform policymaking around Section 504. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Economic Cost of the Pandemic: State by State Publication Date March 6, 2023 Authors Eric A. Hanushek; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Hoover Institution report by Eric Hanushek presents a calculation of the future learning-related economic burden resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. It projects a large and persistent economic loss by using a set of assumptions about the link between reduced student achievement levels and earnings, but in doing so fails to consider several factors. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The System-Level Effects of Denver's Portfolio District Strategy: Technical Report Publication Date February 6, 2023 Authors Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, Erik Fuller, Jakob Panzer, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske; Robert Shand, American University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver claimed that portfolio reforms in the Denver Public Schools led to substantial academic gains for students. As the report’s lead author told the Denver Post, "This study makes clear that the reforms helped students and strengthened the district." A review of the report concludes, however, that claims attributing those gains specifically to the portfolio reforms are not valid. The report analyzes changes in academic performance as measured by test scores and graduation rates versus comparable schools in Colorado over 11 years of the district’s experimenting with the “portfolio” approach to school district management. The portfolio approach includes central-office oversight of different school types (such as charter schools, innovation schools, and district-run schools), with widespread parental choice under a single enrollment system. The model looks to choice, competition, and accountability to drive gains in student performance. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Improving Trauma-Informed Education: Responding to Student Adversity With Equity-Centered, Systemic Support Publication Date November 14, 2022 Authors Stacy Gherardi, New Mexico State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Talking about education in the United States without talking about trauma has become increasingly difficult. Today’s youth suffer through challenges on multiple fronts, going far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and its related social and educational fallout. Children experience trauma because of social conditions such as poverty, homelessness, family separation related to immigration, and increasingly frequent school shootings and community violence. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Equity Elementary: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Staff in Public Schools Publication Date January 24, 2022 Authors Jay P. Greene and James D. Paul; Edward García Fierros, Villanova University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Heritage Foundation report objects to the increasing number of Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) emerging on public school districts’ administrative teams, but it appears to be supporting a conservative agenda rather than guiding policy related to student achievement gaps. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Suspended Reality: The Impact of Suspension Policy on Student Safety Publication Date December 6, 2021 Authors Will Flanders and Ameillia Wedward; Kathryn E. Wiley, University of Colorado Boulder; Kate Somerville, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Climate & Student Support Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) report suggests a relationship between school suspension rates and some students' perceptions of safety in Milwaukee schools. Its conclusion-which was examined in a new review-claims a causal chain that begins with unpunished misconduct in schools and ends with disruptive classroom environments that harm primarily African American students. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Education Freedom and Student Achievement: Is More School Choice Associated with Higher State-Level Performance on the NAEP? Publication Date June 14, 2021 Authors Patrick J. Wolf, Jay P. Greene, Matthew Ladner, and James D. Paul; T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia; Joel Malin, Miami University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent brief from the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas is being used by voucher advocates to argue that increasing school choice can spur broad test score improvements. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Youth Engagement in Collective Impact Initiatives: Lessons from Promise Neighborhoods Publication Date March 29, 2021 Authors Jessica Shakesprere, Mica O'Brien, and Eona Harison; Dana Mitra, Penn State University Research Areas Community Schools; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Think Twice Summary When youth engage in collective-impact strategies, they have the potential to strengthen the design, implementation, and outcomes of school decision-making. A recent Urban Institute report takes up this important topic, examining what youth engagement initiatives look like within a broader reform structure. It presents a continuum of youth involvement-focused on issues of support, input, and leadership. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Capitalism in the 1619 Project Publication Date March 22, 2021 Authors Samuel Gregg; Seth Rockman, Brown University Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary Recently, the Heritage Foundation published a report, Capitalism in the 1619 Project, seeking to disqualify the 1619 Project curricular materials as insufficiently celebratory of American capitalism. The report primarily asserts that the 1619 Project overstates slavery’s importance to U.S. economic history. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Accountability-Past, Present, and Future: Findings and Recommendations for State and District Policymakers Publication Date February 8, 2021 Authors Chester E. Finn, Jr.; Gail L. Sunderman, Maryland Equity Project Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Hoover Institution's Education Success Initiative argues that state and federal officials should retain what it calls "results-based" accountability systems that use standardized assessments of students followed by consequences for not meeting performance goals. But it does not provide the evidence needed to support that contention. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Religious Charter Schools: Legally Permissible? Constitutionally Required? Publication Date January 25, 2021 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett; Derek Black, University of South Carolina School of Law Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute recently published a report concluding that the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue requires states to grant charters to religious organizations, including those that intend to deliver an explicitly religious curriculum that teaches religion as truth. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Third Way: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Schools Publication Date January 20, 2021 Authors Tressa Pankovits, David Osbourne; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Sarah Diem, University of Missouri Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Progressive Policy Institute recently published a "how-to" guide for entities such as charter management companies that seek to develop innovation schools in urban communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Rethinking 'Innovation Schools': Strengths and Limitations of AutonomyBased School Improvement Plans in Contexts of Widening Racial Inequality Publication Date October 26, 2020 Authors Terrenda White and Anna Noble, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Policy Brief Summary School districts around the country have launched new reform strategies that are designed to expand autonomy for public schools. Often called "Innovation Schools," these state- and local-level plans create more autonomous schools, granting school leaders greater amounts of authority over school operations such as curriculum, budgeting, and hiring, while districts continue to manage services related to teacher payroll and benefits. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Are Charter Schools Safer Than District-Run Schools? Evidence from Pennsylvania | Review of Effects of Charter School Competition on District School Budgeting Decisions: Experimental Evidence from Texas Publication Date June 8, 2020 Authors Corey A. DeAngelis | Corey A. DeAngelis and Christian Barnard; Bruce Fuller, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The first study describes how rates of reported low-incidence student infractions are lower in charters, on average. Analyses that include some statistical controls continue to yield results favorable to charters. The author concludes, “The public charter school sector advantages suggest that increasing access to public charter schools in Pennsylvania could improve school climate outcomes for students.” The second report aims to show that competition from the opening of an imagined nearby charter school can increase principals’ preference for budget autonomy and change how they allocate campus budgets to differing positions and instructional resources. The authors assert that their study offers “experimental evidence” that “anticipated charter school competition has large negative effects on school leaders’ reported spending on certain categories of support staff.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Comparing Ed Reforms: Assessing the Experimental Research on Nine K-12 Education Reforms Publication Date May 25, 2020 Authors Paul DiPerna; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice, working with Hanover Research, identifies and reviews studies that use Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) to determine student achievement or educational attainment outcomes of nine broad "education reform" areas. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Investing for “Impact” or Investing for Profit? Social Impact Bonds, Pay for Success, and the Next Wave of Privatization of Social Services Publication Date February 3, 2020 Authors Martin Carnoy, Stanford University; Roxana Marachi, San José State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Climate & Student Support; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Is there a role for private investors in public social policy? In the past decade, we have seen the rise of new financial structures entering the social services arena, with corresponding legislation now poised to change how social services are delivered and who delivers them. While different programs use different terms—including, for example, Pay for Success or Results-Based Financing—the umbrella term encompassing these new financing models is the "Social Impact Bond" (SIB). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report on Academic Progress Is a Worthwhile Conversation Starter Publication Date November 25, 2019 Authors Michael J. Petrilli; Jaekyung Lee, University at Buffalo, SUNY Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Fordham Institute recently released a report highlighting the academic progress of Black and Hispanic groups over the past two decades at the elementary school level on the NAEP exam. From this, the report offers the major claim, based on its author’s eyeball test, that the academic progress of students of color is attributable “mostly” to poverty reduction. The report, however, also acknowledges that correlation is not causation and calls for systematic statistical analysis to test the author’s proposition. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report Advocates Privatizing Schools Overseas, but Without Convincing Evidence Publication Date October 30, 2019 Authors Katelyn Donnelly, Arvind Nagarajan, and Ross Lescano Lipstein; Frank Adamson, California State University, Sacramento Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report, Beyond the Mirage: How Pragmatic Stewardship Could Transform Learning Outcomes in International Education Systems, prescribes a shift in the leadership role of education ministers - from providers and guarantors of education to pragmatic stewards of education systems. Focusing on the organization of education sectors in the Global South, the report contends that this shift from "provider" to "steward" will address the need for higher quality education, rather than simply providing access to education. The "pragmatic stewardship" advocated in the report involves strategies that increasingly incorporate private actors. Accordingly, the report draws on four case studies of different types of private-sector involvement in education as examples of a recommended broader shift by education ministers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Despite Serious Problems and a Lack of Research Support, Virtual Schools Continue to Spread as Policymakers Remain AWOL Publication Date May 28, 2019 Authors Alex Molnar, Series Editor University of Colorado, Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Multiple Shortcomings Mar Report Ranking Michigan High Schools Publication Date April 29, 2019 Authors Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher M. Saldaña, of the University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Michigan Context and Performance Report Card: High Schools 2018 Publication Date April 17, 2019 Authors Ben DeGrow and Ronald Klinger; John T. Yun of Michigan State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Mackinac Center for Public Policy seeks to measure and publicize high school performance by ranking schools according to their test scores after attempting controlling for students’ “economic status.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Education System Alignment for 21st Century Skills: Focus on Assessment Publication Date April 1, 2019 Authors Lorrie Shepard, of the University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Brookings Institution uses international examples to make the case for the importance of “21st century skills” as goals for education systems. It focuses specifically on the development of new assessment methods as a primary means to help countries integrate these 21st century skills – such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication – into curricular reforms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Opportunity Myth: What Students Can Show Us About How School Is Letting Them Down—and How to Fix It Publication Date January 23, 2019 Authors Amanda Datnow of the University of California, San Diego Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project, aims to expose what it labels the “opportunity myth” in American education: that while schools purport to prepare students well, they don’t deliver. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Our Next Assignment: Where Americans Stand on Public K-12 Education: A Review of Recent Opinion Research Publication Date January 14, 2019 Authors Rebecca Silliman and David Schleifer; Gustavo E. Fischman, Arizona State University Kevin Winn, Arizona State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Public Agenda compiled public opinion surveys to show where the American public stands on education issues. The report notes the importance of gauging current public understandings about education, particularly given three major policy changes in the past 10 years: Race to the Top, the Common Core State Standards, and the Every Student Succeeds Act. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Everything You Know About State Education Rankings Is Wrong/Fixing the Currently Biased State K-12 Education Rankings Publication Date November 26, 2018 Authors Stan J. Liebowitz and Matthew L. Kelly; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Unlocking Potential: How Political Skill Can Maximize Superintendent Effectiveness Publication Date March 5, 2018 Authors Paul Hill and Ashley Jochim; William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) sought to provide an overview on how school district superintendents could be more effective at influencing others, harnessing the political power of the position, and exercising real power to accomplish agendas. The report attempts to describe the work of a superintendent as a series of interactions with internal groups (working in a school district) and external stakeholders (business and foundation leaders, and policymakers). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Student-Centered State Funding: A How-to Guide for State Policymakers Publication Date January 8, 2018 Authors Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) attempted to illustrate and explain how state policymakers could design fairer and more transparent state funding systems where monies ‘follow the child’ through parental choice. The school finance systems promoted in the report allow for all state and local tax dollars to flow freely to local district, charter, or private and religious schools. The central premise of the report is: “that adopting ‘student-centered’ funding to enable parental choice of schools necessarily leads to a fairer and more transparent system for financing children’s schooling.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement Publication Date June 4, 2017 Authors Jeannie Oakes, National Education Policy Center and the Learning Policy Institute; Anna Maier, LPI; and Julia Daniel, NEPC. Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Community Schools; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new policy brief, co-produced by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), explores the research on community schools. Community schools represent a partnership and school improvement strategy to integrate resources provided by community agencies and local government for improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities. According to the authors, community schools are strongly supported by research, and can be a particularly important strategy for transforming high-poverty schools. Further research on community schools and the conditions required for successful implementation is needed. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release School Closure as a Strategy to Remedy Low Performance Publication Date May 17, 2017 Authors Gail L. Sunderman, University of Maryland; Erin Coghlan, University of California Berkeley; and Rick Mintrop, University of California Berkeley. Research Areas General / Needs Review; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Closing a “low-performing” school and sending students to a “better-performing” one has been offered as a school improvement strategy, which the logic suggests will motivate schools to improve. A new policy brief released today investigates whether closing schools is an option that policymakers should pursue. According to the brief, the limited evidence base suggests that school closures are not a promising strategy for remedying low performance. The authors write, “School closures have at best weak and decidedly mixed benefits; at worst they have detrimental repercussions for students if districts do not ensure that seats at higher-performing schools are available for transfer students.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Reimagining Learning: A Big Bet on the Future of American Education Publication Date March 6, 2017 Authors Stacey Childress and Meghan Amrofell; Jeffrey W. Snyder, Cleveland State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the NewSchools Venture Fund offered a thought experiment on how philanthropists can help accelerate efforts to reimagine school. It suggested that philanthropic investment should make a “big bet” on innovative models. It called for a total investment of $4 billion over 10 years through three key areas: (1) creating new schools and redesigning existing ones; (2) supporting targeted technology innovation; and (3) launching a campaign to foster understanding and demand for innovative education models. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Measures of Last Resort: Assessing Strategies for State-Initiated Turnarounds Publication Date February 13, 2017 Authors Ashley Jochim; Betty Malen and Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) attempted to provide evidence for states seeking to better support state-initiated turnaround strategies. The report sought to identify effective mechanisms states can use to improve school performance. It provides a broad-brush profile of the various forms of state initiated turnarounds. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Better Evidence, Better Choices, Better Schools: State Supports for Evidence-Based School Improvement Publication Date January 11, 2017 Authors Steve Fleischman, Caitlin Scott, and Scott Sargrad; Terri S. Wilson, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Center for American Progress (CAP) and Knowledge Alliance released a report on the evidence-based provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The report called for a shift away from federal mandates toward greater state and local autonomy. It sought to provide guidance for school districts seeking to make decisions based on evidence to improve their lowest performing schools. And lastly, the report offered eight key recommendations for implementing evidence-based strategies. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Regulating Charter Schools Publication Date August 22, 2016 Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary As part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues, William J. Mathis examines charter school accountability. Mathis finds that despite the premise of market-based accountability, charter schools are not sufficiently being held accountable or regulated. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of A 21st Century School System in the Mile-High City Publication Date July 25, 2016 Authors David Osborne; Terrenda White, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Progressive Policy Institute advocated for expanded use of the “portfolio model” of school governance. The report drew on contemporary reforms adopted by the Denver Public Schools. It claimed that reforms enacted by the Denver Public Schools (viz., portfolio model, school closings, and charter expansion) positively impacted student test scores. The goal was to highlight Denver as a success story that should be copied elsewhere. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Measuring School Turnaround Success Publication Date July 19, 2016 Authors Cassie Lutterloh, Jeanette P. Cornier, & Bryan C. Hassel; Tina Trujillo, University of California Berkeley; and Marialena Rivera, Texas State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report produced by Public Impact for WestEd’s Center on School Turnaround asserted that because there is a lack of a shared definition of school turnaround success for states and districts, it is difficult for school districts to learn from one another. The report claimed to provide a model for defining school turnaround success. The report bases its model framework for determining turnaround success on three school-level measures: (1) proficiency in reading and math on state assessments; (2) growth in reading and math on state assessments; and (3) graduate rate (for high schools). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction Publication Date June 20, 2016 Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, addresses why class size matters. According to Mathis, smaller class sizes improve student outcomes, especially for low-income and minority children. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Does Money Matter? Publication Date June 15, 2016 Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In Does Money Matter?, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, discusses why money matters in education. He concludes that despite claims to the contrary, adequate and equitable funding is necessary for schools to improve their performance – especially schools serving children living in poverty. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – The Purpose of Education: Truing the Balance Wheel Publication Date June 1, 2016 Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In The Purpose of Education: Truing the Balance Wheel, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, discusses what it would take for Horace Mann’s ideal of education as the “great equalizer of the conditions of men” to become a reality. Mann proclaimed that education was the bedrock of democracy and that it had the potential to serve as a “balance wheel of social machinery.” Mathis recommends that in order to true the balance wheel (as Mann desired), both in-school and out-of-school factors need to be addressed. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Housing Policy Publication Date May 23, 2016 Authors Kevin G. Welner and William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Because educational opportunities and life chances are inextricably tied to family wealth and housing advantages, Kevin Welner and William Mathis call for a comprehensive, cohesive approach to address societal inequities. In Housing Policy, the authors recommend that multiple approaches can and should be implemented as a united set of mutually supportive initiatives. In their recommendations, the authors suggest that housing integration policies that address housing supply and affordability can be beneficial. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - Reading Qualitative Educational Policy Research Publication Date May 3, 2016 Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary According to William J. Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, both quantitative and qualitative research methods have the ability to inform policymaking. In particular, qualitative research can fill in gaps in our understanding that quantitative methods cannot capture. Mathis says, “Regardless of the research method used, readers should insist on high-quality work.” This short, concise policy brief provides questions that readers can look for of quality qualitative research. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Five Simple Steps to Reading Policy Research Publication Date April 27, 2016 Authors Holly Yettick, Education Week Research Center Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Policy Brief Summary As part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues, Holly Yettick, Ph.D., director of the Education Week Research Center, provides a single-page brief to identify tips for recognizing higher-quality research studies and making better use of education policy research. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Marshall Jean, University of Chicago Publication Date April 17, 2016 Authors Rosa Pazhouh, Robin Lake, Larry Miller; Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Think Twice Summary A study from the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), an organization that often advocates for charter schools, attempted to provide an in-depth analysis of policy features across the states that allow for online charter schools. The report concluded that online charter schools should use a separate regulatory framework than brick-and-mortar charter schools. The report is part of a series of three, which were sponsored by the Walton Foundation. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Do Choice Policies Segregate Schools? Publication Date March 30, 2016 Authors William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Despite advocates advancing the notion that integration can be promoted by increased school choice, a new brief considers the research evidence of those policies. The concise brief concludes that while choice policies may be designed and implemented in ways intended to advance integration; the result has been increased stratification. The National Education Policy Center published the brief with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – The 'Portfolio' Approach to School District Governance Publication Date March 28, 2016 Authors William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary A new concise policy brief considers the research evidence of “portfolio” districts. According to the brief, the approach shifts decision-making away from local school district leaders. Despite concerns, the approach is now being used in several large urban districts across the country. The authors find that changing the governance structure creates a “false promise” for communities and could distract from larger efforts to address societal inequities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release SchoolGrades.org Publication Date March 9, 2016 Authors Jacob L. Vigdor and Josh B. McGee; Jaime L. Del Razo, Annenberg Institute for School Reform & Brown University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research launched a website, SchoolGrades.org, which aimed to provide a means to compare how well America’s schools prepare students in core subjects. The website attempts to evaluate and assign letter grades to schools using reading and math test scores. The website claims that the school grades found on the site allow parents to compare local schools against schools in other countries using a four-step process. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Reversing the Deprofessionalization of Teaching Publication Date December 7, 2015 Authors William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Policy Brief Summary As part of a series of briefs being released by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, William J. Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder, discuss three forces impacting teachers: (a) alternative (fast-track or no-track) teacher preparation and licensure; (b) teacher evaluation approaches that are largely focused on students’ test scores; and (c) scripted, narrow curriculum that can be constricting and demoralizing for high-quality teachers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - School Accountability, Multiple Measures and Inspectorates in a Post-NCLB World Publication Date October 24, 2015 Authors William Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary First brief in a series of concise publications considers alternative accountability approaches: As a part of a new series of briefs being released beginning today by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, discusses the efficacy of three types of school evaluation approaches: (1) test based accountability; (2) multiple measures; and (3) school self-evaluations plus inspectorates. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Ten Years in New Orleans: Public School Resurgence and the Path Ahead Publication Date October 20, 2015 Authors Christen Holly, Tim Field, Juli Kim, Bryan C. Hassel, Maggie Runyan-Shefa, Michael Stone, and Davis Zaunbrecher; Adrienne D. Dixson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report published by Public Impact and New Schools for New Orleans attempted to review 10 years of education reforms in post-Katrina New Orleans, and the creation of a “portfolio model.” The report argued that the reform experiment has been an unquestioned success, and other cities should duplicate efforts. Overall, the report lays out a grand vision for the future of public education in New Orleans, which was described by the authors as “America’s first great urban public school system.” It is organized into six themes: governance, schools, talent, equity, community, and funders. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Increasing Education: What it Will and Will Not Do for Earnings and Earnings Inequality Publication Date May 17, 2015 Authors Brad Hershbein, Melissa S. Kearney, and Lawrence H. Summers; Marvin Lazerson, Central European University and University of Pennsylvania; and Ryan Pfleger, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Technology & AI; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Hamilton Project sought to study how public investment in education will further long-term prosperity, economic growth, and individual economic security. The inquiry focused on whether or not a bachelor’s degree or higher education would increase economic prosperity and reduce economic inequality. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Dramatic Action, Dramatic Improvement: the Research on School Turnaround Publication Date May 10, 2015 Authors The Center for American Progress (CAP) recently released a report advocating for implementation of evidence-based best practices for turning around low-performing schools through the federal School Im; Tina Trujillo, University of California Berkeley Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Center for American Progress (CAP) recently released a report advocating for implementation of evidence-based best practices for turning around low-performing schools through the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. It concluded that five dramatic actions are necessary to bring about dramatic school improvement. An academic review finds the rationale for its assertions to be narrow, incoherent, and misleading. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Measuring and Understanding Education Advocacy Publication Date April 15, 2015 Authors Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst, David Stuit, Claire Graves, and Lauren Shaw; Robin Rogers, Queens College, CUNY Sara Goldrick-Rab, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report looked at the causal influence of organizations for and against education reform in Louisiana, Tennessee, and North Carolina. According to the report, findings indicated that coordination of advocacy groups strengthens their impact on the introduction of policy into the legislative arena, content of legislation, and the votes of members of the legislature. The report also found that the groups’ perceived influence closely tracked outcomes. The report utilized two methodological innovations to measure the impact of advocacy groups on education reform policy: (1) Surveys with Placebo (SwP); and (2) Critical Path Analysis (CPA). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Why School Report Cards Merit a Failing Grade Publication Date January 25, 2015 Authors Kenneth R. Howe and Kevin Murray, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Better Data, Better Decisions: Informing School Choosers to Improve Education Markets and A Crisis We Can Solve: Connecticut’s Failing Schools and Their Impact Publication Date January 4, 2015 Authors John Valant; Erin McNamara Horvat, Temple University; and David Everington Baugh, Bensalem Township School District, Pennsylvania Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report, published by AEI, asserts that choice is seen as a mechanism, and at times a panacea, for better educational quality. The report provides an overview of what families want from schools, where they get information on schools, and how they use information to make decisions. The report concludes that informed choice and the power of the market will produce better educational outcomes. The ConnCAN report makes a case that there is a desperate need to improve school quality in Connecticut’s neediest neighborhoods and promotes charter schools as the best and perhaps only method for increasing the number of high-quality educational seats in Connecticut. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Efficiency Index Publication Date September 22, 2014 Authors Peter Dolton, Oliver Marcenaro-Gutierrez, and Adam Still; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report, supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), measured efficiency based on test scores, and resource use analyzed in terms of teachers wages and pupil-teacher ratios. It looked at costs for teachers and educational outcomes, and did not consider socioeconomic differences. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The State Education Agency: At the Helm, Not the Oar Publication Date June 6, 2014 Authors Andrew Smarick & Juliet Squire; Peter W. Cookson, Jr., Georgetown University Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary An academic review finds the report is well written, but reveals that the findings and recommendations are not based on original research. In his review, Peter W. Cookson, Jr. found the report fails to support its findings or recommendations with the in-depth research needed to support the sweeping claims in the report. "There is no real substantiation of their claims about the failings of SEAs or the efficacy of their solutions; it relies on the preponderance of secondary evidence as the authors' have collected it." Cookson further states: "The methods used in this report are more akin to advocacy journalism than scholarship." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release New York City's Children First: Lessons in School Reform Publication Date June 2, 2014 Authors Maureen Kelleher; Randal Reback, Barnard College Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for American Progress summarizes and evaluates the public education reforms during the Bloomberg mayoral era in NYC. The report suggests that positive change resulted from the Children First reforms and makes several policy recommendations. The report describes four aspects of reform during the Bloomberg era, and makes recommendations for NYC and other urban districts. It focuses on top-down school reforms from the mayor's office, rather than on instructional changes inside classrooms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Effect of Co-locations on Student Achievement in NYC Public Schools Publication Date April 14, 2014 Authors Marcus A. Winters; Tina Trujillo and Marialena Rivera, UC-Berkeley Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report from the Manhattan Institute investigated the effect of colocations of charter schools and traditional public schools on a narrow range of standardized test scores. It focused on students' test scores and looked at fourth through eighth grade ELA and math standardized assessment gains. Colocation was not found to have a significant impact on students' test scores. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Economic Benefits of New York City’s Public School Reforms, 2002-2013 Publication Date March 30, 2014 Authors Robert J. Shapiro, Sonecon, Inc. & Kevin A. Hassett, American Enterprise Institute (AEI); Sean P. Corcoran, New York University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary An estimated $74 billion impact was attributed to the reforms (based on earnings of students who graduated under the reforms – who might not have otherwise – and on property values). The report assumes that higher graduation rates and charter school availability increased residential property values in the city. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release A Legal Lever for Enhancing Productivity Publication Date February 26, 2014 Authors Elizabeth Ettema, Krishanu Sengupta, and Sandy Kress; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report examines the extent to which the Texas education system is efficient. Using a five-factor definition of efficiency, the authors argue that in key areas – teacher training, teacher evaluation, teacher pay-setting, and use of instructional materials – the Texas education system is unlikely to be efficient or cannot demonstrate efficiency. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Model Legislative Language for Comprehensive Assessment and Accountability Publication Date October 21, 2013 Authors Andy Hargreaves, Boston College Henry Braun, Boston College Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In a report released today, Andy Hargreaves and Henry Braun of Boston College describe how data-driven accountability initiatives have created “perverse” incentives for educators. The legislative brief highlights the flawed use of DDIA in much, though not all, of the U.S. education system. To restore focus on improvement, schools should consider systematic reforms that capture the full range of learning and assess educational values holistically, instead of relying on narrow metrics to define success that punish teachers and students. The brief includes twelve recommendations for establishing more effective systems and processes of Data-Driven or Evidence-Informed Improvement and Accountability. Model legislation by attorney Kathy Gebhardt accompanies Data-Driven Improvement and Accountability. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Data-driven Improvement and Accountability Publication Date October 21, 2013 Authors ndy Hargreaves, Boston College Henry Braun, Boston College Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary In a report released today, Andy Hargreaves and Henry Braun of Boston College describe how data-driven accountability initiatives have created “perverse” incentives for educators. The legislative brief highlights the flawed use of DDIA in much, though not all, of the U.S. education system. To restore focus on improvement, schools should consider systematic reforms that capture the full range of learning and assess educational values holistically, instead of relying on narrow metrics to define success that punish teachers and students. The brief includes twelve recommendations for establishing more effective systems and processes of Data-Driven or Evidence-Informed Improvement and Accountability. Model legislation by attorney Kathy Gebhardt accompanies Data-Driven Improvement and Accountability. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release “Building the Possible: The Achievement School District’s Presentation in Milwaukee” & “The Recovery School District’s Presentation in Milwaukee” Publication Date October 7, 2013 Authors Elliot Smalley, Chief of Staff for Achievement School District Patrick Dobard, Superintendent of the Recovery School District; Elizabeth DeBray, University of Georgia Huriya Jabbar, University of California Berkeley Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary Portfolio districts, such as the Recovery School District (RSD) and the Achievement School District (ASD), remove schools from the governance of locally elected school boards and superintendents and place them into districts that answer to a state authority. The presenters aimed to encourage other districts to adopt such governance structures although no rigorous research has yet examined their effectiveness. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking Publication Date June 12, 2013 Authors William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary The research behind such "hot button" educational issues as Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluations, ability grouping and LGBT safety in schools is examined in a compendium of ten short briefs written by Dr. William Mathis of the University of Colorado Boulder. Each section focuses on a different issue, and its recommendations to policymakers are based on the latest scholarship Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Middle Class or Middle of the Pack: What can we learn when benchmarking U.S. schools against the world’s best Publication Date June 3, 2013 Authors Martin Carnoy, Stanford University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary America Achieves report calls for additional international testing. The authors of the report consider recent PISA results a "wake up call to America’s middle class" and contend in response that U.S. high schools should start taking part in a new international test that is to compare the academic knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds- around the world. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking — Moving Beyond Tracking Publication Date May 29, 2013 Authors William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research. Despite incontrovertible evidence demonstrating the harms of ability grouping, resistance to the elimination of tracking in schools remains strong. The latest in a series of two- and three-page briefs summarizing current relevant findings in education policy research reviews the evidence for and against “tracking” students through school – that is, assigning students to particular classes, curricula and courses of study by their perceived ability. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - Twenty-first-Century Skills and Implications for Education Publication Date May 13, 2013 Authors William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research explores the idea of “21st Century skills.” The brief explains the sometimes-conflicting values and proposals for making schools relevant to meeting the needs of the 21st Century. This short brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform (18th edition) Publication Date May 8, 2013 Authors Christopher Lubienski, University of Illinois T. Jameson Brewer, University of Illinois Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The 18th edition of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Report Card draws on ratings from market-orientated advocacy groups to grade states in areas such as allowances for charter schools, availability of vouchers, and permissiveness for homeschoolers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2013: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence Publication Date May 1, 2013 Authors Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder (editor) Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Luis Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Larry Cuban, Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Major virtual schools report uncovers underperforming schools: In the last decade, virtual schools have expanded rapidly although there is little data to support their growth. The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, released the first of a planned series of annual reports on the performance of virtual schools, the policy issues that virtual schools raise, and the available research evidence on virtual education. Authors urge policymakers to slow or stop the growth of these schools until more research is done and accountability measures can be put into place. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Mayoral Governance and Student Achievement: How Mayor-Led Districts are Improving School and Student Performance Publication Date April 22, 2013 Authors Katrina E. Bulkley, Montclair State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for American Progress claims that mayor-led districts may use resources more strategically and that mayor-controlled districts have seen increases in student achievement. The report also states that moving to a mayoral-controlled district can also help spur innovation and advancement. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Does Sorting Students Improve Scores? An Analysis of Class Composition Publication Date April 1, 2013 Authors Dr. Carol Corbett Burris, South Side High School Katherine Allison, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary Despite the vast majority of research into tracking or ability grouping of students, a recently released report from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) purports that sorting students by ability improves outcomes for low-achieving and high-achieving students alike. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release What Does It Take to Scale Up Innovations? An Examination of Teach For America, Harlem Children’s Zone, and the Knowledge is Power Program Publication Date March 13, 2013 Authors Ben Levin, University of Toronto Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Policy Brief Summary What Does It Take to Scale Up Innovations? A new brief investigates whether innovations are scalable and able to make a difference widely, using three commonly proposed innovations as examples. Ben Levin, University of Toronto, analyzes Teach For America (TFA), KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), and the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), which has already spawned the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods program. Levin determined that there are barriers and opportunities to the scalability of these programs. The brief cautions policymakers to avoid the temptation of proclaiming small-scale innovative programs as solutions to large-scale problems in education. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Estimating the effect of leaders on public sector productivity: The case for school principals AND “School Leaders Matter” Publication Date March 4, 2013 Authors Margaret Terry Orr, Bank Street College of Education Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report attempted to estimate how much “high” and “low” effective principals affect student achievement. The study also explored patterns of change in the composition of schools’ teaching staffs, as well as the movement of principal talent across schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release State Policy Report Card Publication Date February 19, 2013 Authors Sherman Dorn, University of South Florida Ken Libby, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report assigned letter grades to states based on its preferred policies regarding school choice, defined contribution pension programs, private vouchers, test-based accountability and centralized control of public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Democracy Left Behind: How Recent Education Reforms Undermine Local School Governance and Democratic Education Publication Date October 15, 2012 Authors Kenneth Howe, University of Colorado-Boulder David Meens, University of Colorado- Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Kenneth Howe and David Meens, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, examine the suppression of local control by policymakers and what it means for our democracy. A new report presents a comprehensive review of research on two key elements—democratic policymaking and democratic education. The evidence surveyed in this report suggests that contemporary reforms “run afoul of democratic principles in several critical ways.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Democratic School Turnarounds: Pursuing Equity and Learning from Evidence Publication Date September 30, 2012 Authors Legislative Brief: Tina Trujillo, Michelle Renée Model Legislation: Tara Kini Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Policy Brief Summary School Improvement Grant program in need of reform. A new brief by Tina Truillo of the University of California at Berkeley and Michelle Renée of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University finds that standardized test scores are not a reliable measure for student growth and are even more problematic as a measure of whether a turnaround was successful or not, because test scores ignore social, civic and broader academic aspects of schooling. Model legislation accompanies this brief to create state-level school improvements that foster equitable, democratic, and sustainable school turnarounds in priority schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox!

< Back Graduation Rates for Choice and Public School Students in Milwaukee, 2003-2008 Summary Cobb's review of this report praises it for its technically sound analysis and results that are descriptively useful. However, Cobb cautions that any real claims about whether the voucher program is actually causing higher graduation rates must depend upon a much stronger research design. Publication Date March 30, 2010 Authors Casey D. Cobb, University of Connecticut Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release New review recognizes report's usefulness, but warns about causal suggestion EAST LANSING, Mi., (March 31, 2010) – A recent report from School Choice Wisconsin finds that students who attended private high schools under the Milwaukee voucher program had higher graduation rates than their Milwaukee Public Schools counterparts. A new Think Twice review praises the report as technically accurate and descriptively useful, but notes that any real claims about whether the voucher program is actually causing higher graduation rates would depend on a much stronger research design. The report, Graduation Rates for Choice and Public School Students in Milwaukee, 2003-2008 , was reviewed by Casey Cobb, Director of the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education. The Milwaukee report compares the graduation rates of a sample of students attending traditional Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) high schools with a sample of high school students enrolled in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, which pays for low-income families in MPS to send their children to private schools. Examining six years of data, it finds that voucher students' graduation rates exceeded those of MPS students in five of the six years. "The methods used in the report are statistically precise and explained in very clear detail," Cobb writes in his review. For the most part, the data on graduation rates "represent reasonable estimates," he notes. But one key assumption--that net migration in or out of the public and private school programs was zero--was not supported by any direct evidence, Cobb observes. This could present a source of bias, because net in-migration tends to bias a graduation rate figure upward, while net out-migration biases the figure downward. More importantly, any claims that the voucher program causes higher graduation rates "must be based on stronger research designs." The report does acknowledge that limitation, and it directs readers to a forthcoming longitudinal study of the program that is not yet complete, Cobb notes. Yet then it undermines that caution by stating that, if the MPS graduation rate had equaled that of the choice program, 3,352 more MPS students would thus graduated. "Although mathematically accurate, such extrapolation invites causal inferences," which would mislead readers, Cobb concluded. Find Casey Cobb's review and a link to the full School Choice Wisconsin report on the web at: www.greatlakescenter.org . About The Think Twice Project The Think Twice project provides the public, policy makers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications. It is a collaboration of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. ### The mission of the Great Lakes Center is to improve public education for all students in the Great Lakes region through the support and dissemination of high quality, academically sound research on education policy and practices. Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Contact: Casey D. Cobb (860) 486-0253; casey.cobb@uconn.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Charter Schools and District Enrollment Loss Do Charter Schools Cause Fiscal Distress in School Districts Do the Costs of California Charter Schools Outweigh the Benefits Summary The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), based at the University of Washington, Bothell, recently released a series of three policy briefs on the financial impact of charter schools on nearby school districts in California. The briefs are intended to inform ongoing debates over charter school financing and expansion in the state of California. Publication Date May 29, 2019 Authors Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release CRPE Briefs Distort the Debates about the Fiscal Impact of California Charter Schools on School Districts An NEPC Review funded by the Great Lakes Center Key Takeaway: Despite usefulness in pointing to some important issues that policymakers should consider, briefs' analyses of those issues are superficial and misleading. EAST LANSING, MI (May 30, 2019) - The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), based at the University of Washington, Bothell, recently released a series of three policy briefs on the financial impact of charter schools on nearby school districts in California. The briefs are intended to inform ongoing debates over charter school financing and expansion in the state of California. After reviewing all three, Prof. Bruce D. Baker of Rutgers University found that they failed to accurately or fully apply the relevant research and data. The resulting briefs, while raising and attempting to address important issues, erroneously minimize the likely fiscal impacts of charter growth. The first brief, Charter Schools and District Enrollment , attempts to minimize the import of the considerable role played by charters in districts' enrollment loss, offering up the non sequitur that enrollment loss can arise from other sources as well. The brief's assertion that charter enrollment growth bears little blame for district enrollment decline is not correct. It is, and has been for some time-whether in districts with declining, stable or growing overall student enrollments. The second brief, Do Charter Schools Cause Fiscal Distress in School Districts , contends that serious fiscal problems in school districts are most often caused by financial mismanagement and have no relationship with charter enrollment share. The brief relies on overly simplistic comparisons of charter enrollments and county-assigned "fiscal distress" classifications to conclude that there is no association between charter enrollments and fiscal distress. The contention here is that there can't be an illness if the patient isn't dead. In order to rely on this problematic approach, the brief erroneously dismisses a significant, more rigorous, detailed, peer-reviewed and published body of research that illustrates the fiscal impact of charter schools on host districts, and how those fiscal impacts may lead to fiscal stress. The third brief, Do the Costs of California Charter Schools Outweigh the Benefits , presents itself as an analysis of costs and benefits. But it merely touts the benefits of charter schooling as tangible while being entirely dismissive of numerous known and often measurable costs. Taken together, the briefs are useful only in pointing to some important issues that policymakers should consider; its analyses of those issues are, however, generally superficial and misleading. Find the review, by Bruce D. Baker, at: http://greatlakescenter.org/ All three briefs were authored by Robin Lake, Ashley Jochim, Paul Hill, and Sivan Tuchman and published by CRPE. Find Charter Schools and District Enrollment Loss at: https://www.crpe.org/sites/default/files/charter_schools_and_district_enrollment_loss_0.pdf Find Do Charter Schools Cause Fiscal Distress in School Districts at: https://www.crpe.org/sites/default/files/do_charter_schools_cause_fiscal_distress.pdf Find Do the Costs of California Charter Schools Outweigh the Benefits at: https://www.crpe.org/sites/default/files/do_costs_of_ca_charter_schools_outweigh_benefits_0.pdf NEPC Reviews ( http://thinktankreview.org ) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/ About The Great Lakes Center The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform. Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org . Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/greatlakescent . Find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesCenter. Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform. Visit the Great Lakes Center website at http://www.greatlakescenter.org/ Contact: William J. Mathis : (802) 383-0058, wmathis@sover.net Bruce D. Baker : (732) 932-7496, x8232, bruce.baker@gse.rutgers.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Report Card on Education, 1983-84 to 2004-05 Summary This report, which promotes ALEC’s policy agenda, asserts that student achievement has not been improved by increased spending on education, smaller class sizes or improved teacher salaries. It concludes that improvement will occur when “accountability, choice and competition are injected into our current educational system.” Publication Date January 7, 2007 Authors Gene V Glass, Arizona State University Research Areas Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release ‘REPORT CARD ON EDUCATION’ GETS FAILING GRADES EAST LANSING, Mich. – The widely-touted Report Card on Education, 1983-1984 to 2004-2005 falls far short of valid or useful research according to a Think Twice review of the report done by Gene V Glass, Regents’ Professor at Arizona State University. The Report Card , written by Andrew T. LeFevre and published by The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) promotes ALEC’s policy agenda which includes charter schools and vouchers. The Report Card asserts that student achievement has not been improved by increased spending on education, smaller class sizes, or improved teacher salaries. It concludes that improvement will occur when “accountability, choice and competition are injected into our current educational system.” As Glass explains in his review, “ LeFevre presents a great deal of data, but the vast majority of these data are not analyzed.” Further, the Report Card “ignores, intentionally or unintentionally, the many studies that flatly contradict its findings and conclusions.” In fact, the Report Card fails to cite any research studies at all. “Particularly for a report with such sweeping, far-reaching recommendations, this oversight is indefensible,” Glass writes. Glass concludes: “In spite of being clad with myriad numbers and statistics, the Report Card on American Education is rhetoric, not research. Legislators may find value in looking up education statistics for their own state and comparing them with other states. But they will find neither credible findings nor any firmly established facts on which to base policy decisions.” Find the complete review by Gene V Glass as well as a link to ALEC’s Report Card on Education at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org About Think Twice The Think Twice project provides the public, policy makers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications. It is a collaboration of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to identify, develop, support, publish and widely disseminate empirically sound research on education policy and practices designed to improve the quality of public education for all students within the Great Lakes Region. Visit the Great Lakes Center website at: http://www.greatlakescenter.or g Contact: Gene V Glass (480) 965-2692 (email) glass@asu.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Sifting Through the Mississippi Evidence Summary New review uses Progressive Policy Institute report as starting point to try to better understand the impact of literacy reforms and other factors that may have influenced the state's NAEP fourth-grade reading scores. Publication Date July 14, 2026 Authors Gregory Camilli, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release Sifting Through the Mississippi Evidence The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) recently published a report offering an insider account of how Mississippi's K–3 education system has evolved over roughly two decades. In his review of Inside the Mississippi Marathon, Gregory Camilli, professor emeritus at Rutgers University, focuses on just a slice of the report: its description of the state's performance in fourth-grade reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The state's improvement on that exam has been called the "Mississippi Miracle." The PPI report rejects that characterization, opting instead to use a "marathon" metaphor. While confirming the state's improved performance on the fourth-grade NAEP (mathematics, as well as reading), Camilli finds that the report overstates the role of the state's literacy reforms. He explains that insufficient attention has been given to other factors that may have contributed to rising scores. In particular, he explores how extensive third-grade test preparation may have influenced NAEP results. Camilli concludes that the PPI report may understate the effect on NAEP performance of the state's "substantial increase in the frequency of both formative and high-stakes assessment in reading and mathematics as well as increasing the alignment of the state assessment to NAEP." Find the review, written by Gregory Camilli, at: https://www.greatlakescenter.org Find Inside the Mississippi Marathon, written by Rachel Canter and published by the Progressive Policy Institute, at: https://www.progressivepolicy.org/inside-the-mississippi-marathon/ Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back The Integration Anomaly: Comparing the Effects of K-12 Education Delivery Models on Segregation in Schools Summary A report from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice claimed that universal school choice offers a solution to increasing school segregation. The report argued that competition unleashed by unrestricted school choice would promote integration. The report suggested that housing integration has not been an effective way to pursue school integration, and it concludes with recommendations for how to structure school choice to achieve integration. Publication Date January 4, 2016 Authors Benjamin Scafidi; Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Virginia Commonwealth University; & Erica Frankenberg, Penn State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release Friedman Foundation school integration report largely driven by ideology, not evidence EAST LANSING, Mich. (Jan. 5, 2016) – A report from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice claimed that universal school choice offers a solution to increasing school segregation. The report argued that competition unleashed by unrestricted school choice would promote integration. However, an academic review of the report finds that the arguments are not based on evidence. Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Erica Frankenberg, an associate professor at Penn State University, reviewed The Integration Anomaly: Comparing the Effects of K-12 Education Delivery Models on Segregation in Schools for the Think Twice think tank review project at the National Education Policy Center, with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. The report, authored by Benjamin Scafidi for the Friedman Foundation, suggested that housing integration has not been an effective way to pursue school integration, and it concludes with recommendations for how to structure school choice to achieve integration. Siegel-Hawley and Frankenberg, in their review, note the surface appeal of the report's recommendations for the expansion of school choice, including ending virtually all regulation of school choice and providing universal scholarships, as a means for addressing persistent school segregation. However, the reviewers find that the analysis of the empirical relationship between school and residential segregation relies on flawed methodological decisions with regard to how to define segregation and divergent trends over time. Those problematic definitions, in turn, yield biased results and prompt the reader to incorrectly assume that housing integration policies will have little bearing on school segregation. Siegel-Hawley and Frankenberg also point out that the report's use of research literature on school choice is haphazard and incomplete, drawing conclusions either beyond what the research supports or contrary to what research has found. Most prominently, the reviewers find that the report ignores a growing body of literature finding that the very type of unregulated school choice it proposes has, in many instances, exacerbated racial segregation. In their conclusion, the authors praise how the report describes the benefits of integrated schools for students, but they ultimately find the report "provides little utility for guiding policies or communities seeking to combat growing school segregation." Read the full review at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Find the report on the web: http://www.edchoice.org/research/the-integration-anomaly/ Think Twice, a project of the National Education Policy Center, provides the public, policymakers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible by funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. The review can also be found on the NEPC website: http://nepc.colorado.edu Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform. Visit the Great Lakes Center website at http://www.greatlakescenter.org/ Contact: Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, (804) 828-8213, gsiegelhawley@vcu.edu Daniel J. Quinn, (517) 203-2940, dquinn@greatlakescenter.org Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Everyone Wins: How Charter Schools Benefit All New York City Public School Students Summary This report looks at the competition effects of New York City's charter schools and concludes that "students benefit academically when their public school is exposed to competition from a charter." Publication Date November 16, 2009 Authors Patrick McEwan, Wellesley College Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release Charter Report Overstates Results November 17, 2009 'Everyone Wins' ignores factors besides competition to explain marginally improved public school achievement in NYC, according to reviewer EAST LANSING, Mi., (November 17, 2009) – A recently released Manhattan Institute report looks at the competition effects of New York City's charter schools and concludes that "students benefit academically when their public school is exposed to competition from a charter." A new review of that report finds that the report's findings are minimal and may be explained by factors other than charter-school competition. The report, Everyone Wins: How Charter Schools Benefit All New York City Public School Students , was reviewed for the Think Twice project by Patrick McEwan, professor of economics at Wellesley College. The report's focus reflects an important premise behind the market-competition approach to education reform. While critics of market theory contend competition from charter schools or other alternatives will end up penalizing the public schools that must educate most children, market advocates contend competition will help the entire school population. Competition, this argument runs, doesn't just expand choices for parents; it also prods existing public schools to improve in order to avoid losing students. Everyone Wins draws on three years of test score data in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) from New York City public schools as well as data on the percentage of students leaving public schools for charter schools. As McEwan explains, the report uses the rate of departures for charter schools as a proxy to measure increased "pressure on public school administrators to 'compete,' improve test scores, and staunch the flow of students to charter schools." Using appropriate statistical controls, the report finds that increasing competition does not appear to be associated with improved math test scores, while it has "small positive effects on ELA scores" that are "slightly larger among public school students with lower levels of achievement." In his review, McEwan observes that the report itself is modest in its conclusions and that it "correctly notes that the statistical findings do not necessarily imply that increases in the measure of competition cause test scores to rise..." However, the report's title suggests a much more positive definitive outcome, and the nuances are lost as well in the executive summary. McEwan praises the report on several counts: its use of "a high-quality, longitudinal dataset of student achievement," its use of appropriate statistical methods, and its contribution to "an established literature that finds roughly consistent effects of 'competition' that are often zero or slightly positive, depending on the state and method." But he also points out important limitations. The statistical methods used, "while appropriate...cannot control for several potential biases," McEwan writes. "As a result, the measured effects of competition could also reflect the influence of shifting peer quality, declining class size, or other unobserved variables." Other sources of market pressure, such as private schools or schools of choice, are also not considered in this report. The report notes in passing some of those limitations, but "does not make a serious attempt to assess their validity," the reviewer concludes. In the end, then, it does not deliver what it claims, and we do not know whether, in fact, "everyone wins." Find Patrick McEwan's review and a link to the Manhattan Institute report on the web at: www.greatlakescenter.org . About The Think Twice Project The Think Twice project provides the public, policy makers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications. It is a collaboration of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. ### The mission of the Great Lakes Center is to improve public education for all students in the Great Lakes region through the support and dissemination of high quality, academically sound research on education policy and practices. Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Contact: Gary Miron, (269) 599-7965; (email) gary.miron@wmich.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More