Dicing the Data on Charter SchoolsWhat do the numbers say about charter school performance? It all depends on who you ask
The debate over the performance of charter schools isn’t new in New Jersey, but it’s growing louder -- and possibly more strident -- with Gov. Chris Christie’s vow to expand them in number and scope.
But a related dispute also is being carried out both in and outside of the state over how to evaluate the performance of charters, an argument that pits academia against advocacy.
Running the Numbers
Over the past several months, a flurry of data has been parsed and prodded to determine how New Jersey’s 73 charters schools fare against the state’s traditional public schools. And often depending on the numbers being used, the answers have varied significantly.
The state’s charter school advocates, both inside the state Department of Education (DOE) and within the schools and their umbrella organizations, have pointed to a handful of charters as some of the highest-performing schools in their respective cities, if not in the state.
Compared with district averages, most charters have done better, they say, especially in eighth
Q&A Spotlight: Superintendent HeadhunterSchool board and salary are among a candidate's key questions -- as is location, location, location
At a time when school superintendent pay is all the talk in New Jersey, NJ Spotlight talks withWilliam Attea, senior associate and chairman of the national school leadership search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. The Illinois-based firm has been conducting nationwide searches for more than two decades, including in scores of New Jersey districts, most recently in Marlboro, Moorestown, Westfield and Lawrence. It is now conducting a search in Livingston for an assistant superintendent.
Question: How does New Jersey rate when it comes to superintendent searches?
Answer: New Jersey is looked upon as an attractive place to work. You have some very good school districts, and we always get very good response. The one problem we have had in New Jersey is you have a pretty rigid certification system. The lack of reciprocity with other states is one