In a massive study, covering 70% of the nation's charter schools, conducted by Stanford University, researchers found that 83% of charter schools performed worse or no better than traditional public schools. Specifically, "37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools demonstrating no significant difference." For a summary of the report and a link to the full report, click here.

In other news, Mathematica Policy Research conducted a study finding that merit pay doesn't work. According to the study, merit pay, such as the TAP program used at DCC, did not improve student standardized test scores or teacher retention. I don't know about the test scores at DCC, but their teacher retention certainly is in line with this study. Harrison School District 2, the local experiment in performance pay, is experiencing huge turnover. Read more about the finding here.

Why, then, one might ask, is the Obama administration pushing charter schools and merit pay? Why is the state of Colorado working so hard to apply for Race for the Top, a program that pushes failed reform policies? These are attacks on public education in the guise of "reform." If the intent is to destroy public education, diminish the unions, and narrow the curriculum, such policies are not failures at all.

What does work? Adequate plan time, stable staffs, small class sizes, and teacher empowerment. Small class sizes is one of the most important tools for improving student performance, as shown by many studies.

"Honduran teacher unions have opted to join a general strike in the face of escalating violence in the country. Following the recent killings of two teachers, teacher unions have abandoned their previous compromise plan of teaching three days a week and supporting the national resistance to the unelected regime two days a week." Read More.