ERIC Number: ED451260
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1999-Jun
Pages: 30
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
An Evaluation of the Cleveland Voucher Program after Two Years.
Peterson, Paul E.; Howell, William G.; Greene, Jay P.
This report presents an evaluation of the Cleveland Scholarship Program (CSP) after two years in operation. The program provided low-income families with scholarships that they could redeem at any participating Cleveland private school. The evaluation of the program involved a survey of two groups of parents in 1998: parents of children in grades 1-4 who made use of CSP vouchers to attend private schools (and had previously attended public schools) and a random sample of parents in Cleveland with first through fourth graders in public schools. Demographically, voucher recipients were more economically disadvantaged than the average public school family, but in other respects they were relatively advantaged. Voucher recipients were more likely to be African American. CSP won strong endorsement from participating low-income families. Most family background characteristics had little effect on parental satisfaction levels. Parents of voucher recipients were more likely to be very satisfied with nearly every aspect of their schools than were parents of students in Cleveland public schools. Significant differences in satisfaction were noted for teacher skills, the teaching of values, school discipline, and class size. Test scores from two private schools with large enrollments of CSP students rose. School mobility rates for voucher recipients were similar to those of students in the public schools. (SM)
Descriptors: Educational Vouchers, Elementary Education, Low Income Groups, Minority Group Children, Parent Attitudes, Private School Aid, Private Schools, Public Schools, Scholarships, School Choice, Urban Schools
Program on Education Policy and Governance, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Taubman 306, Cambridge, MA 02138; Tel: (617) 495-7976; Fax: (617) 496-4428; Email: pepg@harvard.edu; Web site: http://data.fas.harvard.edu/pepg.
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Kennedy School of Government.; Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Dept. of Government.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
IES Cited: ED479289