The National Education Policy Center produces a valuable series reviewing think tank reports. In this latest one, Professor Francesca Lopez of the University of Arizona takes a close look at a meta-analysis of charter school studies published by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington. It is useful to know that the Center is a leading proponent of charter schools. What would be truly shocking would be if they published a review critical of charter schools.

Here is a summary of Professor Lopez’s findings, as well as links to the original report and her review.

“The report was published in August by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington. The report, by Julian R. Betts and Y. Emily Tang, draws on data from 52 studies to conclude that charters benefited students, particularly in math.

“This conclusion is overstated,” writes López in…