Manhattan Institute | Marcus A. Winters

Homeschooling Isn't Working for Everyone

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Like many parents, sometime in the early spring of 2020 I reluctantly began a second career as the principal and primary teacher of a small elementary school located in the living room. My kids’ teachers did their best to put together...

Test-Based Promotion Policies Have a Substantial Positive Effect on Students

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Policies that require students to demonstrate a minimal level of reading ability on a standardized test in order to be promoted into particular grades have expanded to 16 states and several urban school districts.

Test-Based Promotion and Student Performance in Florida and Arizona

Paul Perrault — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Sixteen states and several urban school districts require students to score above a minimum threshold on standardized tests (always reading, and sometimes math) in order to be default-promoted past one or more “gateway grades” to the next grade.

Does Expansion of Charter Schools Harm Nearby District Schools? My New Study Finds That No, It Doesn't

Marcus A. Winters — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

As long as there have been charter schools, there have been those who have predicted that expanding the publicly funded but privately managed schools of choice would harm traditional public schools.

Do Charter Schools Harm Traditional Public Schools? Years of Test-Score Data Suggest They Don't

Marcus A. Winters — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Critics of school choice often argue that charter school growth reduces the quality of education in traditional public schools.

Want to Improve Performance in Public Schools? Let School Choice Flourish

Marcus A. Winters — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0500

School choice is a controversial topic. Some argue that more choice for students puts competitive pressure on the previously monopolistic traditional public schools to improve. Critics argue that choice programs harm traditional public schools...

Cory Booker Goes Down Fighting

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Charter Schools in Newark: The Effect on Student Test Scores

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Previous research suggests that, on average, urban students benefit from attending a charter school, but charter school effectiveness varies across localities.[2] Few studies have evaluated a broad set of charter schools opera

To Determine the Real Difference Between District and Charter Schools, Research Must Do More Than Just Compare Test Scores

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

A few weeks ago, the National Center for Education Statistics, the statistical arm of the U.S.

Closing Schools Works - If It's Done Right

Marcus A. Winters — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Moving to a new school can have disruptive effects on students.

Video: The Complexities of School-Closure Decisions

Marcus A. Winters — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Should Failing Schools Be Closed? What the Research Says

Marcus A. Winters — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 00:00:00 -0400

It may seem obvious that students enrolled in a low-performing school would benefit from moving to another school. In reality, this is not necessarily the case.

How to Pay Teachers More without Busting the Bank

Marcus A. Winters — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 00:00:00 -0400

By balancing the ratio of salaries to retirement benefits and reforming pension structures, we can vastly improve the quality and cost of teacher compensation.

When It Comes to School Quality in Your City, From New York to Dallas to Anchorage, Mind the Performance Gap

Marcus A. Winters — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Every parent knows that school quality and student performance can vary widely in any given city. That’s why families look closely at the school quality in the neighborhoods they’re considering when they’re planning to move.

Quality Control? How School Performance Varies Within American Cities

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 15 May 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Urban public school districts in the U.S. vary in quality. Educational policies, distribution of resources, and the challenges that students bring to the classroom differ substantially across localities.

De Blasio's Renewal Fiasco Proves Bloomberg's Answer to Failed Schools Was Best for Kids

Marcus A. Winters — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:00:00 -0500

When he came into office, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s signature educational initiative, called Renewal Schools, was perhaps the clearest exampl

Principal Turnover in New York's Charter and Traditional Public Schools, 2008-18

Marcus A. Winters — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Beyond Reinventing Government

Stephen Eide — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 -0400

By Michael Hendrix Director, State & Local Policy, MI

New York City's Charter Schools: What the Research Shows

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0500

This report evaluates the current state of research on New York City charter schools. Overall, their effect on student performance is unambiguously positive.

The Fight over Flunked-Out Teachers

Marcus A. Winters — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0500

Mayor de Blasio wants to fill open teaching jobs with unqualified candidates. The Fight over Flunked-Out Teachers

There's One Thing Worse Than Paying Bad Teachers Not to Work

Marcus A. Winters — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0500

Bill de Blasio’s New York has started putting them back in the classroom, especially in poor areas.

Stop Blaming Charters

Marcus A. Winters — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Research shows that they don’t hurt traditional public schools’ performance, and may help improve it. Stop Blaming Charters

In New York City Schools, the Dance of the Lemons Lives On

Marcus A. Winters — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0500

It's almost impossible to truly fire incompetent teachers

Fool Me Twice? New York City Rejects Research Critical of Renewal Schools

Marcus A. Winters — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400

New York City is experimenting with a policy that provides struggling “Renewal schools” with additional resources and community services in an attempt to turn them around rather than simply closing them.

De Blasio Pledged Progress for Schools. For $582 Million, Change Is Slow.

Manhattan Institute — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Editor's note: The following is article by education reporter Elizabeth Harris of The New York Times