The WSJ reports on a discussion with Parag Pathak, a renowned economist who has focused his career on studying school choice. Mr. Pathak’s work uses economic modeling to gain insight into the process and outcome of public and private school choices.
Charter Schools
Compared with voucher programs, charter schools better manage the competition for enrollment and are subject to more regulation. Accordingly, their effects are more positive.
High expectation or no excuse charter schools have longer days, longer weeks and longer school years. One example is the Knowledge is Power Program network of schools. Studies have shown that students who attend these schools perform better and go on to higher quality colleges compared to students who did not win a lottery to attend. However, not all charter schools are in the same league.
Peer Influences at Elite Education
Studies show that the role of peers at an elite school overstates predicted educational outcomes.
Key Takeaway
As expected, what helps most is smaller class sizes, longer school days, and an emphasis on mathematics and reading.
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