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October 12, 2007
Major study debunks theory of private school advantagesWe know what you're thinking. Wasn't BoardBuzz supposed to be on vacation this week? Yep, but after SCOTUS punted on that crucial special ed case, the floodgates opened on significant ed news that just can't wait.
BoardBuzz took note of an important new study released this week by the well-respected Center on Education Policy that casts even more doubt on the long-held belief (at least by some) that private schools are superior to public schools in raising student achievement. Nope. Sorry. Not according to federal longitudinal data that covers more than a decade in following low-income urban high school students.
After taking into account family socioeconomic status and parental involvement factors, the study concluded that low-income students attending urban public high schools generally performed at the same academic level as similar private school students, and were as likely to attend college. Looking beyond post-secondary school, the study also found no overall differences between the two groups of students in terms of job satisfaction or civic mindedness. The greatest impact on achievement, the study found, was not the type of school attended, but rather the involvement of the student's parents and family income.
Check out NSBA's summary of the study. Here also is Associated Press coverage and USA TODAY.
For those scoring at home, this is 3 consecutive years that a national study has found no overall advantages in student achievement for private school students once background characteristics such as family income are taken into account. See the 2005 findings from University of Illinois researchers, and a 2006 U.S. Department of Education study, also covered by BoardBuzz.
So the big picture question is this: how much more evidence is needed before lawmakers drop the charade that vouchers and tuition tax credits are the answer to better overall student achievement? Or is no amount of evidence going to be enough for some?
Posted October 12, 2007 10:01 AM | Privatization & Choice
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