Fourth graders in traditional public schools did significantly better in reading and math than comparable children attending charter schools, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Federal Education Department.

And W. bans the federal commissioner of education statistics, Mark S. Schneider, from the cool table in the cafeteria. This is the second major study to come out of this department in two months that found that educational choice doesn’t produce results.

Not so fast, says Eduwonk. He points out a key disclaimer in the report that has been omitted in news accounts.

the data are obtained from an observational study rather than a randomized experiment, so the estimated effects should not be interpreted in terms of causal relationships.

The Education department shouldn’t be putting out reports that they can’t stand by.

My best guess about charter schools is that there is a wide range of academic performance coming out of these schools. It’s no secret that some charter schools are disasters. Either poor leadership or insufficient freedom from the state are creating some real school stinkers. On the flip side, there are some great examples, such as the KIPP academy in the Bronx. The stinkers are lowering the overall average of charter schools.

These stinkers shouldn’t damn the whole enterprise. The schools should have their test scores posted on the front door and parents should have the opportunity to decide for themselves which schools to use. Continually failing charter schools should be eliminated. And the good ones replicated.

And charter schools that fare as well as public schools should be examined for other variables other than test scores. Parental involvement and unique learning approaches are another reason to support the charter school model.

(thanks, russell)