While the article focused on Ballou, the report from the state superintendent's office examined attendance and grading practices across the city, determining that truancy is more
severe at neighborhood schools such as Ballou than in charter or application schools.
Finn and other backers of charter
schools contended, however, that the findings should be considered as «baseline data,» and could reflect the predominance of children in these
schools who turned to charters after having had
severe problems
at their
neighborhood schools.