Two education professors at UIUC, Sarah and Christopher Lubienski, have written several papers claiming to show that students in public schools actually score better on standardized math tests than students from private schools - after demographic differences are taken into account, of course. Their paper was mentioned on Illinipundit in the past, along with a similar study done by the federal government that had similar results.
In an e-mail sent to college of education students to advertise a talk by Sarah Lubienski, it says, "Recent analyses have questioned the common wisdom regarding the inherent superiority of private schools relative to public schools."
The font and colors were originally in the e-mail. The Lubienski's claim
Now, first of all, a study out of Harvard criticizes the way in which the Lubienskis "controlled" for demographic differences. In essence, they over counted disadvantaged students in public schools and under counted them in private schools. The authors of the Harvard study controlled for demographics by using other variables and found a private school advantage. In addition, the Harvard study used the Lubienski's model on reading data and found an advantage for private schools. Of course, the Lubienskis have responded by saying their model is right and the other one is wrong.
Getting bogged down in dueling models is missing the main problem with what the Lubienski's, and the rest of the public school establishment are doing. The claim that test scores at private schools are higher than public schools is not at the top of the list of reasons for school choice, but Chris Lubienski says, "More and more states are looking at voucher programs, or trying to organize public schools on a private-school model, and this study brings up serious questions about that approach."
The whole idea is that when parents have the power to choose, schools will be responsive to their preferences.
The Lubienskis also fail to mention that private schools tend to educate for about half the cost of public schools. I wonder why they didn't want to control for $ spent per child?
It's stuff like this that makes me believe education colleges should be shut down.... even though I'm in the college - I think I can find another department to take me. Why is the education establishment so afraid of an honest debate about school choice?
"Why is the education establishment so afraid of an honest debate about school choice?"
Because union jobs would be threatened.
Deep down, the anti-voucher folks know that people would flock away from some public schools if they could, no matter what this research shows.