This week, Andy and I are talking with Macke Raymond, the director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) regarding CREDO’s As a Matter of Fact: National Charter School Study III, which is the third installment of a multi-decade study examining the academic progress of students enrolled in charter schools compared with those enrolled in traditional public schools.

Here is a link to our conversation where you can listen to the podcast. And for those of you who would prefer a video recording, we provide a link to YouTube as well.

This week some of the topics we discuss include the following:

• The heart of the matter, the meta message, the most important takeaway from the study: How are charters excelling? (00:02:13)
• The study methodology: How you can actually compare students’ performance in different schools? (00:05:13)
• Maintaining balance: Macke’s thoughts about how to frame the progress charter schools have made while also acknowledging areas needing improvement. (00:11:16)
• Macke’s thoughts regarding performance expectations, student learning, society in general, and CREDO’s future. (00:16:25)
• Focusing on other themes in the study: The performance of Native American students and students in the suburbs, as well as how virtual charter schools are performing. (00:18:51)
• Interest levels in the three studies from the media and policy makers and what this may portend for future policy making. (00:26:31)
• Macke’s “aha” and the people who get credit. (00:35:00)

Notes:

• “As a Matter of Fact: The National Charter School Study III,” is the latest CREDO study.
• The Methods and Data Overview describes how CREDO approached the study.