The purpose of this fact sheet is to make this information easily available to policymakers, activists, and parents/caregivers, and to contribute to a substantive discussion about developing equitable educational opportunities for all children.

The "Report on the Condition of Education" is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available (at the time this report was written) from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at…

Our 31st annual report analyzing data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts finds that while 68 of the 92 school districts are exceeding or significantly exceeding expectations on our new state report cards, there are large achievement gaps across the region on state assessments for low-income students and students of color. Key…

Our 32nd annual report analyzing data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts finds progress on some college readiness indicators and largely positive showings on district report cards. Those results are offset, however, by discouraging results on standardized tests and continued substantial achievement gaps between students of…

For the last 30 years, the Public Policy Forum has collected and analyzed education data to produce an annual report on the demographics, academic performance, and finances of public school districts in southeast Wisconsin. In the three decades of producing this report, few years have exhibited as much change and transformation as this one. The…

Communities across the country are grappling with different approaches to improving their schools. Introducing or expanding charter schools is one of the approaches that states and school districts have considered or implemented. Charter schools serve more than 5 percent of public school students nationwide and make up close to 7 percent of all…

This book contains evidence about charter schools that can provide important data on evaluating this new public-private hybrid and its success at serving the core purpose of public education. The book focuses on charter schools in Michigan, which is regarded as having one of the most permissive charter laws in the country. The first three chapters…

The many advantages of preserving the nature of community schools is discussed in light of the development of voucher programs and reasons to oppose the voucher system are outlined. [This document originally appeared in the "IDRA Newsletter", however some accompanying charts and graphs may not be provided here.]

Some proponents of Michigan education reform have suggested that private schools could be used to reduce student overcrowding in public schools without the need for new taxes to construct additional schools. Another proposal includes using vouchers and tax credits to enhance parental school-choice options. Both proposals depend upon the ability…

Determining the value of school-choice programs depends on an assessment of consequences on the differing elements of the school system. The International Conference on School Choice and Educational Change at Michigan State University explored the themes of governance, equity and access, innovation, student outcomes, and accountability from the…

This study examines the unionization rates of teachers in traditional government, charter, and private schools to determine how school choice might affect school employee labor unions, including the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Federation of Teachers. The findings of this study reveal that unions have powerful financial…

Compares the organization and effectiveness of public and private schools in New York (New York). Argues that successful schools have a large degree of autonomy and are accountable to their constituencies through the process of competition and choice. (FMW)

Today in Milwaukee 11,163 children receive vouchers to attend 107 different private schools. What began as an experiment in market-based education reform has grown to be one of the largest educational programs in the state of Wisconsin. Over the past five years, the Public Policy Forum has conducted a census of all schools participating in the…

Designed for those interested in the possible effects of the tuition tax credit plan espoused by the Reagan administration, the document presents two polar views on the subject. Glazer's article, "The Future under Tuition Tax Credits: The Case for Homogeneity in Schools," is presented from the perspective of one who favors such tax…

This report discusses national trends in achieving excellence in public education. Although graduation rates have improved greatly since the late 1940s and early 1950s, school restructuring is necessary if the basic skills of the nation's youth are to be improved sufficiently to meet the economic challenges of the 1990s. State governors are…