New Orleans Charter School Study Debunked
The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University recently released a follow-up report to its 2013 national study on charter school performance.
The new study is focused on Louisiana and particularly on the effects in New Orleans. The report states, “We observed positive impacts from attending a [New Orleans] charter for students in poverty (unlike in the overall state), for Black and Hispanic students, special education students, and students who repeat a grade.” Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal called the study “proof of the success of charter schools in Louisiana.”
Such claims overstate the findings.
The study covers a period that begins right after Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans experienced immediate and dramatic shifts in the school population, with a quick enrollment decline from about 68,000 to 32,000 students—slowly climbing back to 42,000 by 2011. The outward migration of students resulted in a much smaller proportion of children in poverty in the city. Additionally, funds were reduced for traditional public schools while funds for charter schools continued to be provided through federal, state and foundation sources.
Drawing an appropriate comparison group and making well-founded conclusions becomes exceptionally problematic in a city with such fundamental changes and such potentially strong selection effects. This is particularly true when 78% of New Orleans public school students are enrolled in charter schools.
The new study’s findings are also problematic because of weaknesses in the study itself. In reviewing the larger national study for the
Classroom Quality and High-Stakes Accountability
High-stakes tests are the most heavily weighted measures in accountability systems developed in response to No Child Left Behind. While some studies show high-stakes accountability being related to test score gains, others suggest these policies do not improve achievement and often result in unintended consequences. To understand mechanisms driving positive and negative effects on student learning