Madison's Forward Institute Inaccurately Discredits School Choice Study

Christian D'Andrea:

A recent analysis by a Madison think tank is trying to poke holes in the six-year work of the School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP). The true discovery here, however, is that this report from the Forward Institute seems to be more interested in discrediting the SCDP's results than providing meaningful statistical analysis on the data or the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program itself. Even in that aspect, it falls short thanks to a limited view of the project's six years of analysis in Wisconsin's largest district.

According to the Forward Institute, the SCDP fails to provide compelling data that voucher schools are the underlying influence behind greater graduation and college attendance rates for students that leave MPS through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.

While the Forward Institute raises interesting points about the overall effect of familial influences on a child's education and their overall success, the group fails to examine the full scope of research that the SCDP has produced in the realm of high school attainment in Milwaukee's public and voucher schools.

Related: Though not perfect, I think $13,063 (MPS) and $7,126 (MPCP) are reasonably comparative per-pupil public support numbers for MPS and the MPCP..

Madison will spend about $15k per student during the 2012-2013 school year, yet continues to produce disastrous reading results.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 7, 2013 3:59 AM
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