The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools

I found The Public School Advantage to be an accessible and informative treatment of recent data on the effects of public school education on mathematics performance, relative to other types of schools. It provides a detailed introduction to the topic, balancing an overview of the issues and debate with data about student performance on mathematics assessments at public and private schools. This balance meant I never felt bogged down in the details, but also got enough information to feel satisfied with the authors' conclusions and believe that as a result of reading this book that I can talk with some authority on the issues surround math education at public and private schools. I found the section in which the authors identified the instuctional factors that differ between public and private schools the most compelling part of their argument and would recommend that chapter, in particular, to anyone interested in public versus private education.I think the structure of the book is worth noting: it starts with a discussion of the issues, followed by a detailed overview of the evidence, and then draws conclusions. The details of the methodology are left to the (almost 100 page) appendix. While this format might leave a critical reader hanging with questions for a while, the text is also more accessible as a result, and the questions do get answered.I would recommend this book!

The methodology is exactly as it should be, controlling for a wide variety of factors associated with school performance, particularly race and poverty. The fact that public schools outperform others is no surprise. What was surprising is how poorly specific denominational schools performed. The data used are among the most reliable and widely accepted.Some reviewers assert that the data or methods are flawed, but provide no specifics and do not appear to understand statistics. They're basically trolls.This is an outstanding treatment of a very important question and needs to be taken seriously by policymakers and parents. We need more comparative analyses like this, particularly those that take into effect state influences. In some states, these findings may vary, being exaggerated or diminished by state policy (particularly those in the South). That is an issue that needs to be explored in more detail. This book fits well with School Choice and the Question of Accountability: The Milwaukee Experience, Finnish Lessons (few, if any, private schools there), Endangering Prosperity, and Surpassing Shanghai.We dilly-dally at our own risk.

This is clearly not a peer reviewed journal or article. The overall structure of the book is confusing. It begins by being pro market model and ends being anti market model. It uses terms like better, efficient and effective, while never taking an opportunity to explain what they mean by each of these terms. It appeared to be an opinion piece cloaked in the veil of an academic text. It seemed to be an apples to oranges comparison of previous research and current research, where one focused on 8-12 grade education (past) and this current research focused on k-8. Read it if you have time, but look for other more scholarly articles to fully form an opinion. It was however well written.

This is a book that is long overdue. After so much bashing of public schools and attendant vilification of teachers therein, and actual analysis turns that on its head. I hope this book gains some substantial readership in government circles. I don't hold out much hope of that for Republican politicos... because they would actually have to READ it. For the rest of us, pass the word.

Very good research on students' performance data, with technical mastery in statistical methods of measurement. Surprising results: public schools perform better. Neoliberal proposal doesn't hold, particularly the drive to privatization of schools. Privatization of public goods is an American obsession, but there are public goods that we have to handle as "public". Public schools can be good, or even better than private ones.

Dr. Lubienski and his wife do great research on behalf of the improvement of education for all students. It is beneficial to have the research support the effectiveness of public education because it is the default education for all, including students with disabilities, low socioeconomic, and English learners.

This book gives a detailed accounting of how the decimation of the public's trust in public education is created by the misinformation available.

Finally, someone supports American public education. These two Illinois professors do it in a scholarly and professional way: with well-documented research.