Reposted with the permission of the American Federation of Teachers
http://www.aft.org
Inside AFT--Week of Aug. 26, 1996
Milwaukee voucher study misses the mark
Rigorous courses lead to rising SAT scores
Report shows charter school laws need improvement
State cuts help send higher ed. tuition skyrocketing
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STUDY OF MILWAUKEE CHOICE PROGRAM PROVES FAULTY
A yet-to-be-published study that purports to show the effectiveness of
Milwaukee's school voucher program is seriously flawed, the AFT warns.
"The effectiveness of School Choice in Milwaukee: A Secondary Analysis of
Data from the Program's Evaluation" reaches its central conclusion
("Students enrolled in choice schools for three or more years substantially
outperform, on average, a comparable group of students attending Milwaukee
public schools") without controlling for the education levels of parents
whose children were included in the study. Since comparisons between
private and public school students were first made in the 1960s, there has
not been a single study that supports a "private school advantage" once
family background is takent into account. The report's main analysis also
is based on a sample size that shrinks substantially over the course of the
4-year study--from a potential sample of 2,049 students at the outset to
218 students in the fourth year. By the third and fourth years, the years
in which the "private school advantage" kicks in, the comparison groups are
about as similar as apples and oranges.
The report, authored by Jay P. Greene of the University of Houston, and
Harvard University professors Paul E. Peterson and Jiangtao Du, has yet to
appear in a scholarly journal, which would first subject the paper to a
peer review evaluation before publication. Such was the case with the
original evaluation of the Milwaukee voucher program-- which found vouchers
yielded no significant gain in student achievement.
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CHARTER SCHOOL LAWS NEED IMPROVEMENT
A new AFT report encourages states to help charter schools become
laboratories of education rather than isolated buildings or vehicles to
undercut employee rights.
"Charter School Laws: Do They Measure Up?" recommends that states develop
laws that hold charter school students to the same standards as those in
traditional public schools. The report, released at the AFT national
convention this summer, also urges that charter school students take the
same exams administered to other students in the state and district, and
that charter schools be encouraged to find flexibility through contract
waivers rather than wholesale attacks on collective bargaining.
No state laws currently require charter schools to collect data showing how
their students' performance compares to traditional public school students.
Only eight of the 25 states with charter schools laws require students at
these schools to take the same exams as those given in regular public
schools, and only six require states to meet state standards. Only eight
states require that all teachers in charter schools hold certification. And
most states have failed to extend full collective bargaining rights and
protections to teachers in charter schools.
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WHOPPING INCREASE IN PUBLIC COLLEGE TUITION
Tuition at four-year public colleges and universities increased at three
times the rate of inflation over the past 14 years, the General Accounting
Office reported last week. The GAO studied the issue of rising tuition and
found that tuition rose 234 percent between 1980-81 and 1994-95. This
compares over the same time period with an 82 percent increase in median
household income.
The GAO says two factors explain the increase--schools are spending more
and states are funding less. Overall school spending rose 121 percent over
that period; faculty salaries went up 97 percent and administrative costs
went up 131 percent. State support slipped by 14 percent over that time. In
response, institutions became more dependent on tuition, which made up 16
percent of total revenues in 1980-81 and 23 percent 14 years later.
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SAT SCORES UP; SHANKER CREDITS MORE RIGOROUS COURSES
SAT scores rose modestly in 1996, an improvement AFT president Albert
Shanker attributes to a renewed emphasis in schools on the academic core
curriculum. The average math score rose two points, to 508, while verbal
scores were up a point, to 505. "Over the past 10 years, more students have
been taking academic courses, across all ethnic groups," Shanker said.
"This shows what should be obvious: When students do rigorous academic
work, they learn more."
The College Board, which administers the test, reported that 38 percent of
the test-takers took honors courses in English, and 29 percent took honors
courses in math, natural science and social science. In addition, more
students are taking Advanced Placement tests: More than 200,000
students--or about one-fifth of the test-takers--did well enough on AP
tests to earn college credit in various subjects.
American Federation of Teachers 555 New Jersey Ave, NW Washington, DC 20001
Copyright 1996 by the American Federation of Teachers. All rights reserved.
   Photographs and illustrations, as well as text, cannot be used without
                         permission from the AFT.
Chuck Beams
cbeams@dreamscape.com
http://www.dreamscape.com/cbeams
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* UniQWK #5290* "On the other hand you have different fingers."  Wright
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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