Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance 2011 Report Driving School Reform

DRIVING SCHOOL REFORM

HARVARD’S PROGRAM ON EDUCATION POLICY AND GOVERNANCE 2011 REPORT EN Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) Director Faculty Affiliates Research Affiliates Paul E. Peterson Roland Fryer Christopher Berry Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government Professor of Economics, Harvard University Assistant Professor, Harris School Harvard University Nathan Glazer University of Chicago Editor-in-Chief, Education Next Professor of Education, Emeritus, David Campbell Harvard University Associate Professor of Political Science Deputy Director Christopher Jencks University of Notre Dame Martin R. West Professor of Social Policy, Harvard University Rajashri Chakrabarti Assistant Professor of Education Richard Light Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor of Education, Harvard University Jay Greene Endowed Chair and Head of the Department of Advisory Committee Education Next Education Reform, University of Arkansas Jeb Bush (Chair) Chester E. Finn Jr. Frederick Hess Foundation for Excellence in Education Senior Editor Resident Scholar and Director of Education Policy Cory Booker Marci Kanstoroom Studies, American Enterprise Institute Mayor, Newark, NJ Executive Editor Executive Editor, Education Next Bruce Douglas Michael J. Petrilli William G. Howell Harvard Development Company Executive Editor Professor of American Politics, Harris School University of Chicago Timothy Draper Carol Peterson Caroline M. Hoxby Draper Fisher Jurvetson Managing Editor Professor in Economics, Stanford University Peter Flanigan Kathryn Ciffolillo Brian Jacob UBS Securities LLC Manuscript Editor C. Boyden Gray Professor of Education Policy Gray & Schmitz LLP Staff Ford School, University of Michigan Ludger Woessmann Phil Handy Antonio M. Wendland Professor of Economics of Education Winter Park Capital Company Associate Director University of Munich Roger Hertog Ronald C. Berry Patrick J. Wolf Alliance Capital Management Research, Web & Data Manager Al Hubbard Professor and Endowed Chair in School Choice Ashley E. Inman Department of Education Reform E&A Industries Staff Assistant University of Arkansas Gisèle Huff Jaquelin Hume Foundation Postdoctoral Fellows Project Funders and Contributors John Kirtley Matthew M. Chingos Bodman Foundation KLH Capital, L.P. Ph.D., Harvard University Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation Steven Klinsky Guido Schwerdt New Mountain Capital Ph.D., European University Institute Thomas B. Fordham Foundation Deborah McGriff Martina Viarengo The Kern Family Foundation NewSchoools Venture Fund Ph.D., London School of Economics The Kovner Foundation Terry M. Moe and Political Science Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Hoover Institution, Stanford University Jaquelin Hume Foundation James Piereson Harvard Research Fellows Searle Freedom Trust William E. Simon Foundation Michael Henderson William E. Simon Foundation Jerry Rappaport Department of Government and Inequality Program Phyllis & Jerome Lyle Rappaport Carlos Xabel Lastra-Anadón Taubman Center for State and Local Government Charitable Foundation Public Policy Program–HKS Thomas W. Smith Foundation Nina S. Rees Elena Llaudet Smith Richardson Foundation Knowledge Universe Education Department of Government The Walton Family Foundation, Inc. Gerard Robinson Daniel Nadler U.S. Department of Education Secretary of Education, Department of Government Commonwealth of Virginia Omar Wasow Department of Government and Department of African and African American Studies

Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) Harvard Kennedy School, Room T-304 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone: (617) 495-7976, Fax: (617) 496-4428 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/pepg/ http://www.educationnext.org From the Director

Driving School Reform

arvard’s Program on Education Policy and that may help focus HGovernance (PEPG) continues to have numerous public attention on the opportunities to shape the direction of school reform. Its educational needs of former research and postdoctoral fellows are staffing think our very best students tanks in Washington, D. C., and holding key positions as well as those have at universities across the country. Its studies have been been left behind. The PEPG’s distinctive role is quoted in the halls of Congress and state legislatures, cited PEPG poll of public to provide high-quality research by judges in significant court cases, and reported in major opinion revealed a slide on critical issues that deserve media outlets. Its journal, Education Next, is thriving on in public satisfaction national attention. its newly revamped website, reaching a dramatically larger with the nation’s schools audience than ever before. The number ofEducation to an all-time low. Surprisingly, it also found a high— Next Twitter followers grows steadily, and a new social and growing—level of support for online learning. networking website has been launched. Of all those Entering its 14th year, and celebrating the 10th engaged in school reform, Education Next was the first to anniversary of Education Next, Harvard’s PEPG is proud have an application for the iPad. of its record and looks forward to continued growth and Others blog, tweet, and network, of course. PEPG’s unbending commitment to a school reform mission it distinctive role is to provide high-quality research on has had from its beginnings. In the pages that follow, we critical issues that deserve national attention. A PEPG provide a snapshot of the many ways it has been helping research fellow demonstrated that the constitutionally to drive school reform. mandated class-size reduction in Florida did not yield educational benefits commensurate with its cost. PEPG researchers found that the United States ranks 31st in the world in turning out high school students who perform at the highest level in math, a finding —Paul E. Peterson

Inside

Conference on Merit Pay ...... 2

Findings from the 4th Public Opinion Survey...... 4

U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective ...... 6

Education Next Celebrates 10th Anniversary ...... 8

Shaping Court Decisions...... 10

Program Fellows on the Cutting Edge...... 12

Class Size Research by Postdoctoral Fellow...... 14

From the Press ...... 15

PEPG Friends...... 16

PEPG Fellows and Alumni...... 17 Conference on Merit Pay

Will it work? Is it politically viable?

arvard’s PEPG hosted a national conference on State of New Jersey, identified the surprising extent to which HJune 3-4, 2010 that examined the political, economic, the Obama administration’s support for merit pay has gone and educational issues associated with teacher performance pay. well beyond anything the president indicated during his The conference attracted over 100 participants and was campaign for national office. In his comments on the paper, covered by several media outlets, including the New York Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Times and the Washington Post. Education on the Domestic Policy Council, agreed that the In the opening session, Andrew Smarick of the Fordham administration was searching for creative ways to promote Institute, now Deputy Commissioner of Education for the needed school reforms.

Roberto Rodriguez (White House) said that the surprisingly robust merit pay policies of the Obama administration reflect growing divisions on this issue within the Democratic party.

PEPG deputy director Above, L to R: Alan Altshuler (Harvard), Martin R. West reports that Kenneth Wong (Brown) and Matthew when more effective teachers Springer (Vanderbilt) listen attentively leave the profession, they earn to discussion of the ways in which higher salaries from their new compensation policies limit the supply of National & World Affairs employer than less effective effective teachers. Education teachers do. The mystique of merit pay PEPG in the News Panel probes programs aimed at improving student performance By Colleen Walsh Harvard Staff Writer Wednesday, June 9, 2010 National & World Affairs Education Study: N.Y. teacher performance pay TheThe mystique mystique of merit pay program flops ofPanel merit probes pay programs aimed at improving student The Uncertain Impact of Merit Pay performance By Valerie Strauss ByBy Colleen Colleen Walsh Walsh for Teachers Harvard Staff Writer By Edward L. Glaeser A paper prepared by two Colum- HarvardWednesday, JuneStaff 9, 2010 bia University researchers for a Writer, Wednesday, Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and June 9, 2010 Governance held a two-day conference on recent education conference at Harvard University said that the In a two-day teacher merit pay. I remain convinced that seminar at Race to the Top was wise to include a push New York City Bonus Program, which attempts to raise student Harvard last week for merit pay, because it shakes up the com- (June 3-4), scholars, politicians, pensation status quo, which is both rigid and achievement by paying teachers for it, was unsuccessful. Why and educators gathered at Harvard replete with bonuses for things, like graduate Kennedy School (HKS) to discuss the degrees, that are statistically unrelated to shouldn’t student achievement be included in the evaluation and value and feasibility of performance

student outcomes. The program brought Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer compensation of teachers? pay.Stephanie The Mitchell/Harvard Harvard Staff Photographer Program on incentives up for discussion, and no Andrew Smarick (right) speaksEducation fromAndrew theSmarick podium (right) Policy speaks on the fromand thornythe podiumGovernance issue on the thornyof merit issue at of merit pay for teachers. pay economist can really be against that. for teachers. HKS organized the conference.

2 Conference on Merit Pay

Among the Research Findings: • Research on merit pay in 28 industrialized countries around the world found that students in countries with merit pay policies in place were performing at a level approximately one year’s worth of schooling higher on international math and science tests than students in countries without such policies. • New York City’s merit pay plan rewarded all the teachers at schools that met the plan’s expectations. It proved effective at raising math scores in schools with relatively few teachers, but was not effective in either reading or math if the number of teachers at the school exceeded ten. • Merit pay policies in a state in India show very substantial effects of a well- designed performance pay program. • Neither academic credentials nor years of experience, after the initial few, are correlated with a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. • Merit pay programs are present in fewer than 5 percent of U.S. school districts.

L-R: Roberto Rodriguez (White House), Paul E. Peterson (Harvard), Eric Hanushek (Stanford, Hoover), and Brian Jacob (University of Michigan) share a light moment between sessions.

Lesley Turner (Columbia University) found no benefits for students from incentives provided in New York City to all the L-R: Robert B. Schwartz (Harvard Graduate School of Education) teachers at a school, unless that school was listens to Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich) who found small and had only a few teachers. worldwide evidence of benefits from merit pay programs.

Dissemination of Findings Economics of Education Review The Economics of Education Review has agreed to publish revised versions of six econometric papers from the conference in a special symposium issue on teacher merit pay. Papers have also been next submitted for publication with Education Next, the Peabody Journal of Education, and the Journal of Labor Economics.

The conference agenda and all of the papers are available for free download at: hks.harvard.edu/pepg/conferences/PTFP.html

3 Findings from the 4th Public Opinion Survey

When it comes to school choice, charter schools and online education are “in,” while private school vouchers are “out.”

upport for charter schools has remained Sreasonably steady over the last several years. Between 2008 and 2009, the portion of the public saying they favor charters fell from 42 percent to 39 percent, but that trend reversed in Overall Charter Support Holds Steady the past year, putting charter support Increasingly popular among minorities, but less popular among teachers. at 44 percent in 2010. Support for charters among African Americans National 2008 42 41 16 2009 39 44 17 rose from 44 percent in 2008 to 64 percent in 2010. 2010 44 36 19 Among Hispanics, levels of support grew from 37 to African-American 2008 42 48 10 47 over the three years (see figure, this page). These 2009 49 42 9 results come from the 2010 Education Next-PEPG 2010 64 23 14 Survey—the fourth survey of a representative sample Hispanic 2008 37 46 17 2009 40 52 7 of U.S. adults in as many years. Other results find 2010 47 33 21 growing support for online education and merit Teachers 2008 47 20 33 pay (see figures, p. 5) and decided opposition to 2009 37 32 31 guaranteeing tenure to teachers. 2010 39 25 36

Apart from student and school accountability Parents* 2010 51 34 15 measures, Americans as a whole do not stand Charter schools 2010 48 32 21 steadfastly behind any single reform proposal. Yet Parents in 2010 57 27 16 charter school the most salient divisions appear to be within, not neighborhood* 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 between, the political parties. Percentage Support Neutral Oppose Complete results from all the surveys are available * Those living in a charter school neighborhood and parents living in a charter school neighborhood were online at educationnext.org. not separate categories of respondents prior to 2010. Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org. SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2008, 2009, 2010

Education Next-PEPG in the News

African-Americans for What the Public Thinks of Charter Schools Teachers, public sharply Public Schools By Paul E. Peterson and divided on key issues By Paul E. Peterson Martin R. West By State House News Service A gulf between teachers According to the just released For the past four years, Teachers and the broader public and the public on what Education Next poll put out by Harvard’s Program on Education are divided over issues such as works best in our schools, the Hoover Institution, public Policy and Governance, together merit pay for teachers, the federal including merit pay and assessment of schools has fallen with the journal Education Next, Race to the Top program, and end to tenure to the lowest level recorded since has surveyed a nationally teacher tenure, according to new Maureen Downey Americans were first asked to representative cross-section of poll results. grade schools in 1981. some 3,000 Americans about a variety of education policy issues. In 2010, we included extra samples of public-school teachers and all those living in zip codes where a charter school is located.

4 Findings from the 4th Public Opinion Survey

Meetingof the Minds Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., are more polarized today than they have been in nearly a century. And among the general public, party identification remains the single most powerful predictor of people’s opinions about a wide range of policy issues. Given this environment, reaching consensus on almost any issue of consequence would appear difficult. And when it comes to education policy, which does a particularly good job of stirring people’s passions, opportunities n the Winter 2011 issue of Education Next, William for advancing meaningful policy reform would appear entirely fleeting. Against this backdrop, the results of the 2010 for several strategies put forward in recent years Education Next–Program on Education Policy by leaders of both political parties—most nota- and Governance (PEPG) Survey are encourag- bly, online education and merit pay. G. Howell, Paul E. Peterson, and Martin R. West ing. With the exceptions of school spending Nearly 2,800 respondents participated in the I and teacher tenure, the divisions between The 2010 Education Next–PEPG Survey, which ordinary Democrats and Republicans was administered in May and June of 2010 on education policy matters are quite 2010 (see sidebar, page 31, for survey meth- discuss key poll findings, including the surprising fact minor. To be sure, disagreements odology). In addition to a nationally among Americans continue to lin- EdNext- representative sample of American ger. Indeed, with the exception adults, the survey included repre- of student and school account- PEPG Survey sentative samples of two popula- ability measures, Americans as tions of special interest: 1) public that, on education questions, there may be a “meeting a whole do not stand stead- shows that, on school teachers and 2) adults fastly behind any single living in neighborhoods in reform proposal. Yet the many reform issues, which one or more char- most salient divisions ter schools are located. of the minds.” Apart from their evaluations of teachers appear to be within, not Democrats and Republicans With a large number of between, the political respondents, we were parties. And we find hardly disagree able, in many cases, unions and their views on teacher tenure, those who growing support to pose differently By WILLIAM G. HOWELL, PAUL E. PETERSON, and MARTIN R. WEST

identify themselves as Democrats and Republicans do not ILLUSTRATION / GETTY IMAGES 20 EDUCATION NEXT / WINTER 2011 www.educationnext.org www.educationnext.org WINTER 2011 / EDUCATION NEXT 21 differ strongly on most education issues.

Learning to Like the Internet No Exceptions for Teachers A majority of the public think high school students should get credit for The public supports merit pay and opposes practices that guarantee online courses. teachers tenure.

Should students get credit for online courses? Teacher tenure 2009 25 30 45 High school courses 2009 42 28 29 2010 25 29 47

52 25 23 2010 Merit pay 2007 44 25 32

2008 44 28 28 Middle school courses 2009 35 30 34 2009 43 30 27

2010 43 29 28 2010 49 25 26

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Percentage Percentage Favor Neutral Oppose Favor Neutral Oppose

Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org. Note: Exact questions available at educationnext.org. SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2009, 2010 SOURCES: Education Next-PEPG Surveys 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Obama must do better on charters By Jim Stergios boston.com/community/blogs/rock_the_schoolhouse

Charter Schools: The Good Poll: Teachers, public Spend more on education! No higher taxes! Ones Aren’t Flukes split on school issues Would this survey be true for Richardson voters? By Jeffrey Weiss By Andrew J. Rotherham By Staci Hupp richardsonblog.dallasnews.com When the education journal More Americans than ever want Good Reading – Now With More Polls! Education Next asked Americans to tie teacher salaries to their eduwonk.com some basic questions this summer students’ state test scores, about charter schools, such as according to an annual survey Meeting of the minds on education By Joanne Jacobs www.joannejacobs.com whether they can charge tuition completed for Harvard University or hold religious services, fewer and the journal Education Next. The public’s views on public education than 1 in 5 respondents knew the hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com correct answer (which was no in both cases). The confusion is so Merit Pay: Public support for merit pay growing, survey shows pervasive that more than half of the By Leslie Postal blogs.orlandosentinel.com teachers surveyed couldn’t answer the questions correctly either. ‘Superman’ debate: Waiting for the teachers’ unions By Larry Sand signonsandiego.com

5 U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective

Thirty other countries outrank the United States in their capacity to produce high-achieving math students.

aintaining our innovative edge in the world The study equated the performance of U.S. students on Mdepends importantly on developing a highly the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), qualified cadre of scientists and engineers. To realize that administered by the U.S. Department of Education and generally objective requires a school system that produces students known as the nation’s report card, with the performance of with advanced math and science skills. Unfortunately, students in other countries on the Programme for International 30 countries outrank the United States in this regard, a Student Assessment (PISA), coordinated by the Organisation for PEPG study reveals. Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Eric Hanushek (Hoover, Stanford), Paul E. Peterson No state within the United States did as well as the top 15 (Harvard University), and Ludger Woessmann (University countries in the world (see figure below). Results for many of Munich) compared the percentage of U.S. students in the states are at a level equal to those of developing countries. graduating Class of 2009 who were highly accomplished in Results cannot be attributed to the impact of the federal law, mathematics in each of the 50 states to percentages of equally No Child Left Behind, as small gains have been detected since high-achieving students in 56 other countries. that law was enacted.

Massachusetts and Minnesota were the highest ranking states, but even they were outranked by 16 and 18 countries, respectively.

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ent at adv 5 Perc U.S. Nebr Russia Alask Io Spai P Mon Michigan Illinois Lat Kansas Indiana Dela Maine It Isr North Da Ut Ariz Florida Calif Idaho Port Geor Missouri Gr Cr T Wy Kentuck Rhode Island Ne Ark T Ha Urugua Bulgaria Oklahoma Alabama Serbia L 0 U N R A I S P M M I L K I D M I I N U A F C I P G M G C T W K R N A T H U B O A S L W W N Ne M Mississippi C Chile ThailandT S Belgium Netherlands Liecht Ne Cz Japa Canada Macao Australia Germany Austria Massachuset Slo Denmark Minneso Ic Fr Est Sw U Slo V Ne Washingt Ne South Da C Ne Te U.S. Taiw Hong K Kore Finland Lux Hungary P Norw Vir Ir C Or Lithuania North Maryland South Wisconsin Ohio ennesse urk ouisiana enns aly wit oland ermon olor onnecticut eland .K. est Vir wa eland ance oati ah eec xas ael egon ech Rep vada w Me waii w Ze w Jer w Hampshir w Y oming eden ginia v vakia onia via ansa embour ona tana n ugal ey enia z ware ornia an gia aska a n a ay ado erland e ylv a ork enst Car Car y ong aland xic t y s ginia se ta ania ko e ko on olina olina o y ein ta g ta ts e PEPG in the News

Mass. Losing Ground Utah lags behind 32 Your Child Left Behind in Math U.S. students not countries in advanced math By Amanda Ripley By James Vaznis measuring up in math Thirty-two countries outper- Hanushek, along with Just 11 percent of Massachusetts In a state-by-state analysis of formed Utah when it came to the Paul Peterson at Harvard and 12th-graders graduated with the percentage of students percentages of students scoring Ludger Woessmann at the advanced math skills in 2009, performing at advanced levels, at advanced levels in math, University of Munich, looked at less than half the rate of Taiwan, the study found most U.S. states according to a new report the American kids performing Hong Kong, and South Korea, rank closer to developing released today by Education at the top of the charts on an according to the study sponsored countries than to developed Next in conjunction with international math test. by the journal Education Next countries. Harvard University’s Program and Harvard University’s on Education Policy and Program on Education Policy and Governance. Governance.

6 EdNext Winter 2011 2010 U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective Survey U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective -PEPG

How well does The report was the cover story for the each state Teaching the Talented Does America produce high-achieving math students? Winter 2011 issue of ERIC A. HANUSHEK • PAUL E. PETERSON • LUDGER WOESSMANN do at producing Education Next. high-achieving students?

Eric A. Hanushek Paul E. Peterson Ludger Woessmann

IN THIS ISSUE: 2010 EdNext-PEPG Survey, Tracking Truants, Obama and Performance Pay, Middle School Madness, the Promise of CMOs, Florida Tax Credits

CONTRIBUTORS: WILLIAM G. HOWELL, MARTIN R. WEST, JUNE KRONHOLZ, PETER MEYER, ANDY SMARICK, MICHAEL J. PETRILLI, KEVIN HALL, ROBIN LAKE, DAVID FIGLIO, BILL TUCKER, ROXANNA ELDEN

www.educationnext.org / $7.00

Prepared under the auspices of: No state within the United States Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance & Education Next Taubman Center for State and Local Government Harvard Kennedy School did as well as the top 15 countries EN in the world.

30 vel 25

20 U.S. average U.S. average anced le anced 15 10

Radio Boston Rundown: Even our best kids lag in Mass. Students math—middle schools to Oregon, U.S. students lag Best of the Worst? blame behind in advanced math By Andrew Phelps By Jay Mathews skills, study says High-schoolers here surpass The study reveals that only 6 Kimberly Melton their peers nationwide in percent of U.S. eighth graders About 7 percent of Oregon mathematics, according to a score at an accomplished level high school graduates have the new study by the Kennedy School msnbc.msn.com in math on the Program for In- advanced math skills to compete at Harvard. But Massachusetts ternational Student Assessment for top jobs in the global market, students fall way behind their American math achievement trails most (PISA). As a test, PISA has its according to a national study peers in at least a dozen industrialized nations problems, but the authors link released today. European and Asian countries. By Lisa M. Krieger its results closely to the National Oregon beat the U.S. mercurynews.com Assessment of Educational average but trailed neighboring Fewer Math Students Seen at Advanced Level Progress (NAEP), the most Washington and scored about By Erik W. Robelen reliable American test of student the same as Lithuania. edweek.org achievement, and provide what looks to be a fair comparison Even our best kids lag in math— middle schools to blame pcrschool.org 7 Education Next Celebrates 10th Anniversary

As the journal enters its second decade, its reach and impact is greater than ever. Milestones First Lady Laura Bush identified the critical importance of education for all Americans at a Washington, D. C., event that celebrates the appearance of 2001 Education Next’s first issue.

2002 Education Next available on newsstands and in bookstores nationwide.

Harvard University

Faculty of Arts and Sciences ~ Program on Education Policy and Governance – PEPG, Taubman 304, 79 J.F.K. St., Cambridge, MA 02138

Press Release: Contact: Antonio Wendland (617) 495-7976 Mainstream media campaign begins. For Immediate Release September 21, 2004 Education Next and Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and 2004 Governance Named Key Partner in First Federally-Funded Research Center on School Choice

Cambridge, MA. – Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) and its journal Education Next, together with other leading institutions, will establish the federally- funded Center on School Choice, Competition and Achievement.

The Center will receive a $10 million dollar, five-year grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, the main research component of the U.S. Department of Education. The grant was announced this September after a widely publicized, nationwide competition.

Under the grant’s terms, PEPG, directed by Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government Paul E. Peterson, will examine the impacts of school vouchers on public schools, the effects of charter schools and private schools on student achievement, and the effects of school accountability systems on political competition within school districts. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to extend our long-standing research program on school choice into new venues,” Education Next cited as most influential schoolProfessor Peterson observed.reform journal A multidisciplinary team from the partnered institutions includes political scientists, economists, sociologists, psychologists, curriculum experts, psychometricians, statisticians, public in an independent survey that ranked the influencefinance analysts and legal scholars, ofwho willvarious attempt to answer a broad range of questions 2006 surrounding school choice. The participating institutions include the Peabody College of individuals, organizations, and news outlets.Education at Vanderbilt University, the Brookings Institution, the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) and the Stanford University School of Education. Peabody will perform the Center’s primary administrative responsibilities.

Research is expected to start during the current academic year, reports PEPG Deputy Director and Assistant Professor of Government William Howell. “I am pleased that the Department of Education has decided to support randomized field trials and rigorous scientific research in education,” Howell commented.

Introduction of Education Next-PEPG annual Establishedpoll. in 1996, the Program on Education Policy and Governance, located within the 2007 Department of Government in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Taubman Center on State and Local Government in the Kennedy School of Government, has received national recognition for its research on school choice, school accountability, and many other school reform topics. It assumes primary editorial responsibility for Education Next: A Journal of Opinion and Research, where some of the research will be published.

For more about the program on Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance, see http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/pepg/index.htm. Media contact: Antonio Wendland, tel.: (617) 495-7976, email: [email protected]

Education N ext New website provides blogs, videos, audio podcasts, 2009 and reader commentary. Print version of journal available in full color.

On website, MyEdnext page facilitates social networking. 2010 Journal available on iPhone and iPad applications.

2011 On website, Edfacts provides readers with a place to discover key facts about America’s schools. Education Next in the News

Spring 2010

Toothless Reform Study: NYC Middle Schools Middle Schools Failing Teachers, public sharply Is Uncle Sam investing in the status quo? ANDY SMARICK Need Improvement By Yoav Gonen divided on key issues New York City’s middle schools By the eighth grade, a student who By State House News Service aren’t making the grade, at least attends a kindergarten-through- The results of the fourth annual according to a new Columbia eighth-grade school scores, on survey conducted for Harvard

INTHISISSUE: average, 7 percentage points School of the Future, The Coleman Wars, Vouchers in New Orleans, Gender Gap, University study (Education University’s Program on Educa- Universal Kindergarten, Charter High Schools, Quality Counts

CONTRIBUTORS: MICHAEL HENDERSON, DALE MEZZACAPPA, PAUL PETERSON, SUSAN MCGEE BAILEY, RICHARDWHITMIRE,ELIZABETHCASCIO,KEVINBOOKER,TIMSASS,MARGARETRAYMOND Next, Fall 2010). higher in math and 5 points better tion Policy and Governance and www.educationnext.org / $7.00 Researchers said standalone in reading than a student who the journal Education Next were February 2010: middle schools do a worse job attends a regular middle school released yesterday. Citing Ednext educating students than schools -- even though they scored equally The national poll provides research article offering kindergarten through in third grade. “We find the con- “strong evidence.... that most on charter high schools (Unknown World eighth grade under one roof. sequences of attending a middle Americans support merit pay for of Charter High Schools), Caprice Young school for student achievement teachers, while teachers oppose (President and CEO, KC Distance Learning to be substantial and troubling,” the policy by a large margin. at Knowledge Universe) testifies at House concluded a report by Columbia Education and Labor Committee hearing Graduate School of Business on H.R. 4330, the All Students Achieving researchers Jonah Rockoff and through Reform Act of 2009. Benjamin Lockwood.

8 Education Next Celebrates 10th Anniversary next Education Next’s presence on the web has shifted sharply upward since website was relaunched

90 Launch of new website design Pageviews Unique Visitors All Visits 80

40 Thousands

0 J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N 2009 2010

Don’t cut back on online The Turnaround Myth Education funding: Stimulus Rules on courses, Florida Virtual In any event, the reasonable We’re dancing the Prosperi- ‘Turnarounds’ Shift School supporters say conclusion is that children would ty-to-Hysteria Two-Step By Lesli A. Maxwell By Jeffrey S. Solochek be better served by closing these by George Will In a recent article in Education Researchers, too, view Florida’s schools and starting new ones. Although the public education Next magazine, he argued that system as a model because it offers In a recent article for Education lobby’s cry of “Parsimony!” is not the best way to turn around the unprecedented access to a wide Next magazine, Andy Smarick of much of an argument, it is persua- thousands of schools deemed to range of courses and has grown the American Enterprise Institute sive to Democrats comfortable in a be failing under the NCLB law steadily without incurring the notes that the most successful relationship of co-dependency with is to close them and replace them political sparring other education urban school models are run by teachers unions. But before Con- with new, better options. changes have created. charter organizations—KIPP, gress is stampeded into spending “When I talk to people in other states Achievement First, Aspire—that yet more (borrowed) billions, (about online education), they say, specialize in starting new schools. it should read “The Phony ‘We want to be like Florida,’” said Funding Crisis” in the journal Tucker, who wrote about Florida Education Next by James W. Virtual for the cover of the influen- Guthrie, a professor at Southern tial magazine Education Next. “Yet Methodist University, and Arthur Florida doesn’t. That’s the irony of Peng, a research associate. the whole thing, isn’t it?”

9 Shaping Court Decisions

PEPG research cited in Supreme Court decision that says Arizona funding practices are constitutional.

n Horne v. Flores, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of IArizona school and state officials in a complex dispute over the adequacy of English language instruction in the state’s schools. In the published opinion of the Court (p.36), the Court cites work by Matthew Springer and James Guthrie that was presented at a PEPG conference and published in the volume edited by Martin R. West and Paul E. Peterson, School Money Trials (Brookings 2007). The case was decided June 25, 2009.

Springer and Guthrie found that professional consultants who testified that schools were inadequately funded often had a stake in the outcome of the decision.

Courts Cite PEPG Research

Nos. 00-1751, 00-1777 & 01-1779

IN THE (Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2008 1 Supreme Court of the United States FOR PUBLICATION Syllabus SUSAN TAVE ZELMAN, et al., Petitioners, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS v. NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is being done in connection with this case, at the tiFORme the op THEinion is isNINTHsued. CIRCUIT DORIS SIMMONS-HARRIS, et al., Respondents.The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. Nos. 09-987, 09-991 See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U. S. 321, 337. HANNA PERKINS SCHOOL, et al., Petitioners, ======v. SONYA RENEE; CANDICE JOHNSON, a  DORIS SIMMONS-HARRIS, et al., Respondents. SUPREME COURT OFminor, by Sonya Renee, her THE UNITED STATES In The SENEL HERMAN TAYLOR, et al., Petitioners, guardian ad litem; MARIBEL Supreme Court of the United States v. SyllabuHEREDIAs ; JOSE ALDANA, a minor, DORIS SIMMONS-HARRIS, et al., Respondents. by Maribel Heredia, his guardian ------♦ ------ARIZONA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL On Writ of Certiorari to the HORNE, SUPERINTENad litem; B. DDENT, ARIZONAOE, a minor, by N. PUBLIC United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Doe, her guardian ad litem; TUITION ORGANIZATION, INSTRUCTION v. FLORES ET AL. MARIEL RUBIO; DANIELLE RUBIO, a Petitioner, BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE v. CENTER FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM,CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATESminor, by Mariel Rubio, her COURT OF APPEALS FOR CATO INSTITUTE, MILTON AND ROSE D. FRIEDMAN THE NINTHguardian ad litem; S CIRCUIT TEPHANIE KATHLEEN M. WINN, et al., FOUNDATION, AND GOLDWATER INSTITUTE RUBIO, a minor, by Mariel Rubio, IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONERS Respondents. No. 08–289. Argued April 20,her guardian ad litem; G 2009—Decided June 25,UADALUPE 2009* GONZALEZ; DAISY GONZALEZ, a ERIK S.A J AFFEgroup of English Language-Learner (ELL) students and their parentsGALE GARRIOTT, in his official capacity as Counsel(plaintiff of Record s) filed a class action, alleminor, by Guadalupe Gonzalez,ging that Arizona, its State BoarDirectord ofNo. 08-16661 the Arizona Department of Revenue, ERIK S. JAFFEof Educa, P.C. tion, and the Superintendeher guardian ad litem; Jnt of Public InstructionAZMINE (defen- 10 5101 34th Street, N.W. D.C. No. Petitioner, Washington,dants) D.C. 20008 were providing inadequateJOHNSON ELL, a minor, by Deanna instruction in the Nogales  3:07-CV-04299-PJHv. (202) 237-8165Unified School District (Nogales),Bolden, her guardian ad litem; in violation of the Equal Educa- Counsel for Amici Curiae KATHLEENORDER AND M. WINN, et al., tional Opportunities Act of 1974A DRIANA (EEOA) R, AMIREZ which , a minor, by requires States to OPINION take “appropriate action to overcomeArcelia Trinidad Ramirez, her language barriers” in schools, Respondents. 20 U. S. C. §1703(f). In 2000, the Federal District Court entered a guardian ad litem; JANE DOE, a ------♦ ------declaratory judgment, finding anminor, by John Doe, her guardian EEOA violation in Nogales because the amount of funding the State allocated for the special needs of On Writs Of Certiorari To The ad litem; CALIFORNIANS FOR JUSTICE ELL students (ELL incremental funding) was arbitrary and not re- United States Court Of Appeals DUCATION UND ALIFORNIA lated to the actual costs of ELL Einstruction F in Nogales.; C The District For The Ninth Circuit SSOCIATION OF OMMUNITY Court subsequently extended reliefA statewide and, C in the years fol------♦ ------lowing, entered a series of additionalORGANIZATIONS orders andFOR injunct REFORMions. N TheOW ,de- REPLY BRIEF FOR RESPONDENTS fendants did not appeal any of the District CouPlaintiffs-Appellants,rt’s orders. In 2006, SUPPORTING PETITIONERS the state legislature passed HB 2064, which, amonv.g other things, increased ELL incremental funding. The incremental funding increase ------♦ ------ARNE DUNCAN, in his official required District Court approval, and the Governor asked the state capacity; UNITED STATES INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE attorney general to move for accelerated consideration of theTIMOTHY bill. D. KELLER WILLIAM H. MELLOR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, The State Board of Education, which joined the Governor in opposing Counsel of Record RICHARD D. KOMER Defendants-Appellees. HB 2064, the State, and the plaintiffs are respondents herPe.AUL Th V.e AVELAR CLARK M. NEILY III Speaker of the State House of Representatives and the President398 S. of Mill Avenue 901 N. Glebe Road the State Senate (Legislators) intervened and, with the superinten-Suite 301 Suite 900 dent (collectively, petitioners), moved to purge the contempt orderTempe, in AZ 85281 Arlington, VA 22203 16317(480) 557-8300 (703) 682-9320 —————— [email protected] *Together with No. 08–294, Speaker of Arizona House of Representa- Counsel for Respondents in Support of Petitioners tives et al. v. Flores et al., also on certiorari to the same court. Glenn Dennard, Luis Moscoso, and Arizona School Choice Trust ======COCKLE LAW BRIEF PRINTING CO. (800) 225-6964 OR CALL COLLECT (402) 342-2831 Education Next article cited in decision validating alternative certification practices

homas J. Kane, Jonah E. Rockoff, and Douglas O. Staiger’s TPhoto Finish: Certification Doesn’t Guarantee a Winner, featured in Education Next, Winter 2007 (p. 60), was cited in Renee v. Duncan—United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, in a challenge to a Department of Education regulation permitting teachers participating in alternative route programs to be considered “highly qualified” under the No Child Left Behind Act. Kane and his colleagues found that teachers who were alternatively certified were no less effective than those that had been traditionally certified. It was argued and submitted February 11, 2009. The case was decided in favor of the defendant, July 23, 2009.

Shaping Opinions Informing Citizens Through Op-eds and Commentaries

March 16th, 2010 By PAUL E. PETERSON On Saturday, President and competition. “creatively” destroyed by Obama delivered a radio Charter schools went good firms, which are address on education and unmentioned. One themselves eventually he didn’t shrink from worries that his view of eliminated by still better saying that American markets in education competitors. Ignoring this high school students are differs little from the one basic economic principle, trailing international offered by Diane Ravitch critics of charter schools averages. He sketched on these pages on March 9 and other forms of school choice see no hope for competition in education. These critics ask us to leave public schools alone apart from creating voluntary national standards—speed zones without traffic tickets, as it were. Yet few doubt that public schools today are troubled, as the president noted on Saturday. What the president left out is out details of a bill his and in her new book “The that the performance of administration is now Death and Life of the American high school pushing to revise the No Great American School students has hardly Child Left Behind Act. System.” In that book, she budged over the past He proposes to preserve offers a naïve and static 40 years, while the per- testing requirements but view of markets. “It is in pupil cost of operating create a better measuring the nature of markets that the schools they attend stick, require teachers be some succeed, some are has increased threefold evaluated by performance middling, and others fail,” in real dollar terms. If 11 (not credentials), and use she wrote. school districts were firms carrots instead of sticks to Twentieth century operating in the market encourage progress. economist Joseph place, many would quick But nothing in the Schumpeter saw it another speech or his proposed way. In his view, it is in legislation hints at the the nature of markets need for school choice that middling firms are Program Fellows on the Cutting Edge

Can citizens tell a good school when they see one?

By Matthew M. Chingos, Michael Henderson, Judging Schools and Martin R. West The public in general, and, even more, parents in particular, give higher grades to local schools where students score high on state tests. They also give higher grades to schools with fewer students who are poor. Neither parents nor the general public evaluate schools based arents grade their local schools on on racial or ethnic composition. Pthe basis of student achievement, not the racial composition of the Factors affecting citizen evaluations of local schools school, this study found. Test Scores Demographic Composition School Characteristics

The analysis also debunks the 45

popular belief that low-income, ) 40 39*39 minority, and less-educated parents are ade 35 not as informed about school quality. er gr 33*33 Both parents and the general 30 25*25 public, however, do give lower grades 25

to schools with a high percentage of lett one of cent 20 18* 17* students from poor families. 16** 15 The peer-reviewed study was 10 the first to compare Americans’ 6* 5 5 4 4

subjective ratings of local schools to (per school ade given 1 actual data on student achievement 0 0 at the same schools. The analysis ect on gr -5 -44 -4 reveals that citizen ratings of local Eff -10 schools reflect publicly available % proficient % % % Larger Larger Elementary in math African Hispanic not poor school size class size school information on the level of student and reading American achievement at those schools. Citizens Parents – Education Next, Fall 2010

Fellows in the News Daniel Nadler check the facts Elena Llaudet

What Happens When States Have check the facts Genuine Alternative Certification? Carlos Xabel Lastra-Anadón We get more minority teachers and test scores rise The NCES feature Private-Public School Study Martina Viarengo By Paul E. Peterson and a shortfall of 280,000 qualified math According to this point of view, Findings are other than they seem Daniel Nadler and science teachers by 2015. As for- certification is necessary to ensure orty-seven states have adopted a mer National Education Association teacher quality, because teaching, like State Standards pathway to teaching, alternative to president Reg Weaver put it, “At the start other professions (law, medicine, the Fthe standard state certification oth- of every school year, we read in the sciences, and so forth), requires mas- erwise required. Is this new pathway gen- newspaper...stories about schools scram- tery of an esoteric body of substantive uine or merely symbolic? Does it open bling to hire teachers.” and pedagogical knowledge that can- the classroom door to teachers of minor- Teachers of minority background not be obtained without undergoing Rise in Reading, Checked: ity background? Does it help—or hin- are in especially short supply. In 2004, a rigorousHenry training Braun, program. Frank Jenkins, Arthur and der—learning in the classroom? Claims only 14.1 percent of the nation’s teach- Wise, Wendyformer Grigg. head 2006.of the “Comparing National about all of these questions have arisen ers were African American or Hispanic, CouncilPrivate for Accreditation Schools and Public of Teacher Schools in public discourse. Recently, data have even though these ethnic groups com- Education,Using told Hierarchical the House Linear Committee Modeling,” become available that allow us to check prised 26.5 percent of the adult popu- on Education and the Workforce, Fall in Math U.S. Department of Education, their validity. lation. That shortage has led to calls “Rigorous teacher preparation is key Institute of Education Sciences, To receive a standard state certifi- for remedial action. In the words of to ensuring that no child is left National Center for Education Statistics, cation in most states, prospective teach- Weaver, “An impressive body of research behind.... Content knowledge is only NCES 2006-461. ers not only must be college graduates confirms that recruiting and retaining one indicator of readiness to teach.... but also must have taken a specific set more minority teachers can be crucial [Schools of education] must prepare of education-related courses that com- to” raising the achievement of minor- new teachersChecked to byteach Paul the E. great Peterson diver- and uch ado has been made about setting high proficiency bar is set very low, little is accomplished prise approximately 30 credit hours of ity students. “States and school districts sity of Elenastudents Llaude whot are in America’s M standards over the past year. In his first by setting the content standards in the first place. coursework. Prospective teachers are need to develop programs...[that] reach classrooms today.” major address on education policy, given just To see whether states are setting proficiency well advised to pursue studies at a col- out to minorities still in school, offer- But Kate Walsh,n July president14,2006,the of U.S.Depart- the two months after he took the oath of office, Presi- bars in such a way that they are “lowballing expec- lege or university within the state where ing encouragement and incentives to National Councilme onnt oTeacherf Educat Quality,ion’s National dent Barack Obama put the issue on the national tations” and have “lowered the bar” for students they expect to teach, because it is often enter the teaching profession. We need says thatO the “certificationCenter for Educationprocess” has Statistics agenda. They ought “to stop lowballing expecta- in 4th- and 8th-grade reading and math, Educa- only within that state that students can more minority teachers. School dis- only a (NCES)“crude capacityreleased afor study ensuring” that compared tions for our kids,” he said, adding that “the solution Next has used information from the recently get the courses required for state certi- tricts need to aggressively recruit them.” qualitythe teachers, performanc becausee in rpedagogicaleading and math of tion to low test scores is not lowering standards— released 2009 National Assessment of Educational 4th and 8th graders attending private fication in the subject area and for the “knowledge can be acquired by means it’s tougher, clearer standards.” In March 2010, Progress (NAEP) to evaluate empirically the pro- and public schools. The study had been grade levels that they will be teaching. other than coursework.” Teachers learn Secretary of Education Arne Duncan accused ficiency standards each state has established. This undertaken at the request of the NCES Such certification requirements limit The Certification Debate to teach by practicing the craft, not by educators of having “lowered report is the fourth in a series by the Educational Testing Service the supply of certified teachers, and as Both colleges of education and teach- taking coursework in its history or psy- the bar” so they could meet the in which we periodically assess (ETS). Using information from a a result, serious teaching shortages are ers unions oppose any relaxation of chology. If that is so, then both the requirements set by the fed- the rigor of these standards national sample of public and private regularly observed. For example, in Cal- certification requirements. In Weaver’s teaching shortage and the paucity of eral education law, No Child (see “Johnny Can Read...in (recent and present), back row: school students collected in 2003 as Fellows ifornia, one-third of the entire teacher view, “The solution is not to develop minority teachers can be alleviated by Left Behind (NCLB), which Tennessee, Some States,” features, Sum- part of the National Assessment of work force, about 100,000 teachers, will alternative routes of entry into the pro- opening the classroom door to all col- requires that all students be mer 2005; “Keeping an Eye Educational Progress (NAEP), ETS retire over the next decade and need to fession or to increase the supply of lege graduates, not just to those who proficient in reading and math on State Standards,” features, compared the test scores of public a Race be replaced, compounding what the recruits by allowing prospective teach- have taken the required courses associ- by the year 2014. Summer 2006; and “Few States Guido Schwerdt, Matthew Chingos, governor’s office calls a “severe” current ers to skip ‘burdensome’ education ated withschool state students certification. with those of students characteristics, the private school flawed. Using the same data but sub- Current conversations about Set World-Class Standards,” teacher shortage. Other states are facing courses or student teaching. The solu- Althoughin all privateno state hasschools, abandoned taken itstogether. advantage among 4th graders disap- stituting better measures of student creating a common national to the Top check the facts, Summer 2008). a similar situation. The National Coun- tion is to show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, traditionalSeparately, certification it compared programs student in per- peared, giving way to a 4.5-point pub- characteristics, we estimated three standard largely focus on the The 2009 NAEP tests in cil of Teachers of Mathematics projects and show us the money.” responseformance to calls for in broader public schools recruitment with that in lic school advantage in math and par- alternative models that identify a pri- Omar Wasow Catholic, Lutheran, and evangelical ity between the sectors in reading.After vate school advantagesubstantive in nearly curriculum all to be winner, reading and math were given Protestant schools. the same adjustments were made for comparisons. Similartaught results at various are found grade levels. to a representative sample of Even more important, we sub- students in 4th and 8th grade 70 EDUCATION NEXT / WINTER 2009 Accordingwww.educationnext.org to the NCES study, stu- 8th graders, private schools retained a for Catholic and Lutheran schools dents attending private schools per- 7-point advantage in reading but taken separately,mit, whileis each evangelical state’s expectations is at the in each state. NAEP, called “the front row: Martina Viarengo, formed better than students attending achieved only parity in math. Protestant schoolsfor achievestudent parity performance with with nation’s report card,” is man- public schools. But after statistical But, in fact, the NCES study’s mea- public schools respectin math to and the have curriculum, an as very bottom aged by the Department of adjustments were made for student sures of student characteristics are advantage in readingexpressed (see Figure through 1). its profi- Education’s National Center ciency standard. Curricula can for Education Statistics and is Carlos Xabel Lastra-Anadón, be perfectly designed, but if the currently the “gold standard” of www.educationnext.org WINTER 2007 / EDUCATION NEXT 75 Elena Llaudet, and Daniel Nadler by PAUL E. PETERSON and CARLOS XABEL LASTRA-ANADÓN

12 EDUCATION NEXT / F A L L 2 0 1 0 www.educationnext.org

12 State Standards Rise in Reading, Fall in Math

By Paul E. Peterson and Carlos Xabel Lastra-Anadón Strength of State Proficiency Standards, 2009 (Figure 1) Percentage Change 4th Grade 8th Grade Overall Average in Ranking PEPG report rates Math Reading Math Reading 2003 2005 2007 2009 2003 to 2009 A each state’s proficiency Massachusetts A A A A A A A A +8.2 Missouri A A A A A A A A +4.8 standards and finds that Race Washington A A B+ A C+ C B- A +33.8 to the Top (RttT) winners Hawaii B+ A B A B B+ B+ A +9.2 New Mexico B+ A B A B- C+ A +19.4* Delaware and Tennessee get New Hampshire B A B- A B- B+ New a ‘C’ and an ‘F’, respectively, Vermont B A B- A B- B B+ +15.9 Minnesota B- A C+ B+ B- B New raising questions about Maine B- A C+ B+ A A B- B -11.5 standards set by RttT winners. Montana B- A C+ B+ C- C+ C B +50.5 New Jersey B- A C+ B C C C B +36.1 Researchers Peterson and Rhode Island B- A C+ B B- B- C+ B +2.9 Lastra-Anadón show that Colorado C+ B+ C+ B D D B- B- +57.0 Utah C B- C+ D+ D+ C+ +40.3* standards in most states remain Nevada C B- C C+ C C C +2.2* far below those of the proficiency Indiana C B- C C+ C- C- C C +22.1 District of Columbia C B- C C+ C C +5.8* standard set by the National West Virginia C B- C C+ D- D- C +46.7* Assessment of Educational Ohio C B- C C+ C+ C C- C -5.3 Oklahoma C C+ C- C F D- F C +44.4 Progress (NAEP). Kentucky C C+ C- C B- C+ C C -17.3 In more encouraging findings, Florida C C+ C- C C C C+ C -5.0 Wyoming C C+ C- C A A C C -41.3 the analysis reveals that despite Mississippi C C+ C- C D- D- D- C +38.5 widespread perceptions that state California C C+ C- C B B B C -35.3 Wisconsin C C+ C- C D C- C- C +28.9 standards are falling nationwide, Alaska C C+ C- C D+ D+ D C +22.1 they are rising noticeably in South Dakota C C+ C- C C- D+ C- C +18.5 Pennsylvania C C+ C- C C C C C -2.3 reading. Math continues to suffer, North Dakota C- C+ C- C C C C C -8.9 however, with declining standards. North Carolina C- C D+ C D- D- D+ C +32.8 Connecticut C- C D+ C C- C C C +7.2 – Education Next, Fall 2010 Iowa C- C D+ C D+ C- C- +9.0* Oregon C- C D+ C C C- C- -13.7* Kansas C- C D+ C C- C- C- C- -2.5 Delaware C- C D+ C C C- C- C- -4.1 Georgia D+ C D+ C D- D- F C- +24.2 Arkansas D+ C D C- C+ B C+ C- -32.2 Michael Henderson Louisiana D+ C D C- C- C C- C- -2.4 South Carolina D+ C D C- A A A C- -65.2 Virginia D+ C D C- D+ D+ D+ D+ +4.2 Idaho D C- D C- D+ D D+ D+ -2.1 Maryland D C- D D+ C+ C C D+ -39.1 Arizona D C- D D+ B- D+ C- D+ -48.5 New York D C- D- D+ C C C+ D -36.9 Texas D C- D- D+ F D+ D D +14.5 New research: Parents, Illinois D D+ D- D+ C C D D -30.5 Michigan F D F D C C- D D- -27.8 regardless of income, Alabama F D F D- D- D- F -3.0* know whether their schools Nebraska F D- F F D D- F -8.2* are good or not Tennessee F F F F F F F F -1.0

NOTE: “*” indicates that data for this state are not available for 2003, so the percentile change is from 2005 to 2009. “New” indicates that data for this state are not available for 2003 or 2005, and we cannot calculate the percentile change from either year. No grade means that either state scores or NAEP results were unavailable. Letter grades in colored type indicate improvement by a full letter grade or more from 2007. SOURCE: Author calculations based on state tests and NAEP

Research Fellow Michael Henderson 13 Class Size Research by Postdoctoral Fellow

Florida’s class-size reduction mandate did not improve student achievement

Matthew M. Chingos presents his class-size research at a PEPG Colloquia. ostdoctoral fellow Matthew M. Chingos found Pthat Florida’s constitutional amendment, which forced districts to use state funds for class reduction unless they had already reduced class sizes to an acceptable level, had no impact on average student performance. Students in schools where districts were not forced to spend their money on class-size reduction improved as much on state tests as those attending schools in districts subject to the constitutional mandate. The study also found no significantly different impact on the average performance of ethnic and racial groups or between economically advantaged and disadvantaged students. The class-size amendment is estimated to have cost about $20 billion over the first eight years of the program and $4 billion per year subsequently. In November 2010, 55 percent of Florida’s voters voted to give school districts more flexibility in setting class size at their schools. The constitutional requirement remained unchanged, however, as the Florida Constitution now requires that 60 percent of voters approve any proposed amendment.

PEPG in the News

Study shows no effect from Class sizes are getting Florida Mandates Fla. class size cuts By Ron Matus bigger, but does it really Classroom Size Reduction A new Harvard University study and Jeffrey S. Solochek matter By Vanessa de la Vina says Florida’s class size amend- Class size debate heats up: By Tamara Henry “It looks like this hugely ment has had no discernible Is it working? Is it worth it? The Hechinger Report expensive policy had little or no effect on student achievement. A Harvard think tank concludes Conventional wisdom says the effect on student achievement,” in a study being released today smaller the classes, the better Matthew Chingos, a research fel- that despite a multibillion-dollar the education, because teachers low at the Harvard program, told price tag, the 2002 state constitu- can pay more attention to each ABCNews.com. tional amendment to reduce class child. But while smaller classes Chingos went on to explain the sizes has had little impact on are popular, decades of research study does not say reducing class student test scores. has found that the relationship sizes in general has no effect. He between class size and student said it just shows reducing class outcomes is murky. size with such tight resources is not the solution to improving education.

14 From the Press

From Schoolhouse to Courthouse: The Judiciary’s Role in American Education by Joshua M. Dunn and Martin R. West Brookings Institution Press / Fordham Institute, 2010

“No one wishes to substitute courts for school boards, or turn the judge’s chambers into the principal’s office,” Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer once observed. This volume, which examines the judiciary’s influence on matters ranging from desegregation to school choice and from special education to school finance, demonstrates why.

Saving Schools: From Horace Mann to Virtual Learning by Paul Peterson Harvard University Press, 2010 This book is a masterpiece — carefully constructed and engagingly written. In one volume Peterson gives us a portrait of schools as they have come to be, and as they soon will be as technology brings to each student a virtual little red school house, custom-constructed to each one’s needs.” — Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School and author, Disrupting Class

Paul E. Peterson has written a deep and rich history of public education in America and the people and forces that shaped it. He brings together policy, research, and political issues with genuine sophistication and hard-edged thinking. He believes we’re finally For more on poised for a big step forward, using technology to customize the learning experience and Saving Schools see: empower both students and their families.” savingschools.com — Joel Klein, Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Book Reviews

History of school reform Book Report: The Optimist Software’s pull on offers glimmers of hope ‘From Schoolhouse to By Marcus A. Winters hard-to-reach teens By Laura Impellizzeri Courthouse’ In Saving Schools, Harvard’s By Charles Murray Education reformers have left the By Mark Walsh Paul Peterson tells us that Amer- In his new book, Saving Schools, essential teacher-pupil relationship I would…heartily recommend ica’s road to public-school ruin Harvard’s Paul Peterson gives a untouched for more than a century, the book for anyone with an in- was, naturally, paved with good detailed description of how such fighting instead for changes out- terest in school law: professors, intentions. Peterson chronicles schools operate, using Florida side the classroom: desegregation, practicing attorneys, education the history of America’s public Virtual School near Orlando as teacher pay hikes, funding equal- students, administrators, policy- schools through the lives of the a case study. The short story is ity, increased testing, vouchers and makers, and the most interested six titans of education policy— that virtual education works and changes in curriculum. teachers and parents (as well as Horace Mann, John Dewey, is getting better and better as Harvard University government students). It might be nice if a Martin Luther King, Jr., Albert technology advances. professor Paul Peterson argues few federal judges or Supreme Shanker, William Bennett, and that although many of those efforts Court justices, or at least their James Coleman. have been well-intentioned, even law clerks, got their hands on the noble, American schools haven’t volume, too. kept pace with changes in society. And they’re just not very good.

15 PEPG Friends Former U. S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings in lively conversation with former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell and Antonio Wendland, PEPG associate director.

Paul E. Peterson and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg exchange thoughts on the book Saving Schools. Jeb Bush, chair of the PEPG advisory committee, performs work for the committee while Antonio Wendland, PEPG associate director, looks on during Bush’s week-long stay Former Washington, D.C., at Harvard’s Kennedy School during the fall chancellor of schools of 2010. Michelle Rhee speaks with Paul E. Peterson about the Education Next profile of her that ran in the Winter 2010 issue.

PEPG Seminars

Education Policy Colloquia Series 2010 The PEPG Education Policy Colloquia Series was initiated in the spring of 2004 to foster an interest in education research within the Harvard community and for students in training at the Program by inviting top scholars from across the country to present their recent research findings in an open discussion with colloquia attendees. All events are free and open to the public.

Meeting of the Minds? Results from the 2010 Education Next-PEPG Beyond Test Scores: The Effects of Charter High Schools on Survey of Public Opinion. Martin R. West, Deputy Director of PEPG and Educational Attainment. Brian Gill, Mathematica Policy Research Assistant Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education The Impact of a Universal Class-Size Reduction Policy: Evidence What’s it All About, Arne? Grover “Russ” Whitehurst, Director, Brown from Florida’s Statewide Mandate. Matthew Chingos, Research Fellow, Center on Education Policy, The Brookings Institution Program on Education Policy and Governance What’s In a Name? No Child Left Behind and Today’s Teachable Interest Group Influence in School Board Politics: Evidence from Moment. Margaret Spellings, Harvard University IOP Fellow and Former a Natural Experiment? Christopher R. Berry, Assistant Professor, The Secretary of Education Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago Doubling Up: Remedial Algebra and Student Outcomes. Josh Good- Citizen Perceptions of Government Service Quality: Evidence from man, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School Public Schools. Martin R. West, Deputy Director of PEPG and Assistant Professor of Education Harvard Graduate School of Education U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective. Paul E. Peterson, Direc- tor of PEPG and Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government, Harvard University

16 PEPG Fellows and Alumni

Matthew Chingos PEPG 09-03: “The Illusion of Equality: The Elena Llaudet Post Doctoral Fellow in residence September 2010 Educational Consequences of Blinding Weak Research Fellow and PhD candidate, Harvard to June 2011. Matt received his PhD (2010) in States, For Example” with Lant Pritchett University. Government from Harvard University. Starting PEPG 09-01: “Producing superstars for the PEPG 07-08: “Heterogeneity in School Sector in 2011 he will also be a Fellow in Governance economic Mundial: The Mexican Predicament Effects on Elementary Student Performance” Studies at the Brown Center on Education Policy at with quality of education” with Lant Pritchett with Paul E. Peterson the Brookings Institution. “The NCES Private-Public School Study” with Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College Guido Schwerdt Paul E. Peterson, Education Next 7(1): pp. 75- at America’s Public Universities, with Post Doctoral Fellow in residence September 2010 79. (2006) William G. Bowen and Michael S. McPherson, to June 2011. Guido comes from the Ifo Institute PEPG 06-02: “On the Public-Private School Princeton University Press, 2009 for Economic Research, where he served as a staff Achievement Debate” with Paul E. Peterson “Teacher Effectiveness, Mobility, and Attrition economist and affiliated to the University of Munich. in Florida,” with Martin R. West, in Matthew He received his PhD (2007) in Economics, European Oliver Falck G. Springer, ed., Performance Incentives: Their University Institute, Florence, Italy. Post Doctoral Fellow in residence September 2009 Growing Impact on American K-12 Education, PEPG 10-20: ”Migration Background and to December 2009; Economist in the Human Brookings Institution Press, 2009 Educational Tracking: Are second-generation Capital and Innovation Department at the Ifo “For-Profit and Nonprofit Management in immigrants double-disadvantaged?” with Institute for Economic Research, in Munich, Philadelphia Schools,” with Paul E. Peterson, Elke Luedemann Germany. Education Next 9(2): 64{70 (2009) PEPG 10-15: “Is traditional teaching really all PEPG 10-01: “School Competition and PEPG 10-08: “It’s Easier to Pick a Good Teacher that bad? A within-student between-subject Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions: than to Train One: Familiar and New Results on approach” with Amelie C. Wuppermann International Evidence Using Historical Catholic the Correlates of Teacher Effectiveness,” Roots of Private Schooling” with Ludger with Paul E. Peterson PEPG 10-03: Carlos Xabel Lastra-Anadón Woessmann “The Impact of a Universal Class-Size Reduction Research Fellow, PEPG 09-05: “Identity and Entrepreneurship: Policy: Evidence from Florida’s Papers Harvard Kennedy School Do Peers at Scholl Shape Entrepreneurial Statewide Mandate.” “State Standards Rise in Reading, Fall in Math” Intentions?” with Elke Lüdemann and PEPG 10-02: “Do More Effective Teachers with Paul E. Peterson, Education Next 10(1): Stephan Heblich Earn More Outside of the Classroom?” with pp. 12-16 (2010) Martin R. West Michael Henderson “Citizen Perceptions of Government Service Daniel Nadler Research Fellow and PhD candidate, Harvard Quality: Evidence from Public Schools,” with Research Fellow and PhD candidate, University. Michael Henderson and Martin R. West Harvard University. PEPG 10-17: “Does Information Help Families “Promotion and Reassignment in Public School “What Happens When States Have Genuine Choose Schools? Evidence from a Regression Districts: How Do Schools Respond Alternative Certification?” with Paul E. Peterson, Discontinuity Design” to Differences in Teacher Effectiveness?” Education Next 9(1): pp. 70-74 (2009) PEPG 10-16: “Citizen Perceptions of with Martin R. West Government Service Quality: Evidence from Omar Wasow Public Schools” with Matt Chingos and Martin Martina Viarengo Research Fellow and PhD candidate, R. West Post Doctoral Fellow in residence January 2008 Harvard University. PEPG 10-05: “Public Opinion on Merit Pay: to July 2009; Research Officer at the Center “Did the Rise of Crack Cocaine Increase Self Interest vs. Symbolic Politics” with for Economic Performance in the London School Dropouts?” William G. Howell of Economics. “It’s Not about Race at K: Analyzing the PEPG 09-06: “Information and Exit: Do PEPG 09-04: “Social Capital and School Sector Evolution of the Black-White Test Score Gap in Accountability Ratings Help Families Choose Impacts on the Non-Cognitive Skills of Early the First Six Years of School” with Elena Llaudet Schools?” Adolescents” with Paul E. Peterson The Alumni Christopher Berry – Assistant Professor, The University of Chicago, William Howell – Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics in the Harris School of Public Policy. Harris School, co-director of the Program on Political Institutions, and David Campbell – John Cardinal O’Hara, C.S.C. Associate Professor of a professor in the Department of Political Science and the College, Political Science, University of Notre Dame. University of Chicago. Rajashri Chakrabarti – Staff Economist, New York Federal Reserve Marci Kanstoroom – Executive Editor and Senior Web Editor, Education Bank, New York and former Post Doctoral Fellow, Program on Education Next. Policy and Governance, Harvard University. Martin R. West – Assistant Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate Matthew Chingos – Brookings Research Fellow in Governance Studies, School of Education. Deputy Director, Program on Education Policy and Brookings Institution and Post Doctoral Fellow, Program on Education Governance, Harvard University. Executive Editor, Education Next. Policy and Governance, Harvard University. Patrick Wolf – Professor and 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Jay Greene – Professor and 21st Century Endowed Chair, Head of the Choice in the Department of Education Reform, College of Education Department of Education Reform, College of Education and Health and Health Professions, University of Arkansas. Professions, University of Arkansas. Kenneth Wong – Department Chair; The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Bryan Hassel – Co-Founder and Co-Director, Public Impact. Professor in Education Policy; Professor of Political Science, Public Policy, Frederick Hess – Resident Scholar and Director of Education Policy and Urban Studies; Director of Urban Education Policy Program, Brown Studies. University. Nonprofit EN U.S. Postage Paid Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) Permit No. 26 Harvard Kennedy School Peterborough, NH 03458 Room T-304 79 John F. Kennedy Street Cambridge, MA 02138

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