School league tables: do they make the grade?

<p><p>School League Tables have been a feature of the English education system since 1992. Whilst many bemoan their existence, the government has made it clear that they are here to stay, in England at least. Statistics on school performance can and should be used to inform school choice and improve accountability and school performance. But they need to be the right statistics presented in a useful, robust and informative way.</p><p>A series of papers, published today in a special issue of <i>Fiscal Studies</i> on measuring school effectiveness, highlight some of the key issues that policymakers must consider. </p></p>