Paul Peterson: Students do Better in Private Schools

Several weeks ago the U.S. Department of Education released a study indicating that private school students do not typically demonstrate greater achievement than public school students. Is it any surprise that Harvard researcher and voucher supporter Paul Peterson used the same data to demonstrate private school students demonstrate greater achievement? (I"ve always said that data means whatever the reporter says it means.) The Detroit Free Press reports, "The Harvard study counters critics of the Bush administration, including teachers unions, who argued that the original study showed that instead of spending public money on private schools -- as supported by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings -- the government should give more money to public schools. Spellings was criticized for not paying more attention to the study."