The Wall Street Journal sets the record straight on what the best available research says about the efficacy of school vouchers.

A meta-analysis last year by the Friedman Foundation found that 14 of 18 empirical studies analyzing programs in which students were chosen at random by lottery found positive academic outcomes. Two demonstrated no visible effect, while two recent studies of Louisiana’s voucher program found negative effects.

Progressives who cherry-pick negative data on vouchers are denying the overwhelming social science that shows private-school choice benefits both participants and public school students. These progressives are thwarting educational progress.

Indeed, public school advocacy groups in North Carolina often highlight studies that show no or negative effects on student achievement, ignore the rest, and proclaim that vouchers are a failure.