Bifulco comments on Florida charter school report in San Francisco Chronicle

June 19, 2019

The San Francisco Chronicle

Robert Bifulco

Public Administration & International Affairs Department

Center for Policy Research

U.S. Education

United States

The San Francisco Chronicle

Robert Bifulco

The Florida Department of Education recently published a report consisting almost entirely of simple graphs comparing achievement levels, achievement gaps, and achievement gains on statewide tests among charter school students to those among traditional public school students. The Department’s press release touted the report as showing that the state’s “charter school students consistently outperform their peers in traditional public schools.”

Professor Bob Bifulco, who reviewed the report for the National Education Policy Center, says "beyond the odd exercise of counting the number of comparisons that appear favorable to charter schools, the report offers no discussion. The comparisons are not even explained. The fact that the report merely presents comparisons required by law without putting any policy “spin” on them might be considered a virtue," he says. "But the danger is that such reports can (and do) encourage erroneous conclusions." Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle article "Florida Report Offers Meager Insight into Charter School Performance." 06/19/19