Minnesota has several types of school choice options available to its 750,000 students: open enrollment, second-chance programs, postsecondary enrollment options, and charter schools. Survey data show that the families of special-needs students are increasingly using the open-enrollment option and are satisfied with their choices. Students with…

Parents of children with disabilities (n=80) or giftedness (n=19) commented on their children's participation in an open enrollment program. Twelve broad topics were identified by the Minnesota parents, including teacher/administration attitude, transportation/location, programs for special needs students, student's attitude and behavior change,…

Ninety-nine parents of students with special needs who participated in Minnesota's 1990-91 open enrollment program responded to a survey item which asked for their comments on their child's participation in the program. Twelve broad topics were identified within the content of these responses: teacher/administration attitudes,…

A survey was conducted of Minnesota families of students with disabilities (n=60) and without disabilities (n=60), and responses were compared to identify practices related to public school choice. Results indicated that the media were the primary source of information for families of general education students, while principals and teachers were…

This study compared students with learning disabilities who participated in open enrollment in Minnesota with their nondisabled peers, in terms of reasons for transfer, source of information about open enrollment, parent involvement with the school, and demographics. The study involved a survey of 59 families of students with learning disabilities…

This study examined the extent to which students with disabilities are accessing alternative schools and Area Learning Centers (ALC) in Minnesota. Also of interest was the option used by students to enroll in the school, the extent to which students crossed district boundaries to attend the school, and differential participation by category of…

A random sample of Minnesota school districts participated in a study that examined the participation rates of students with disabilities in school choice options and tuition agreements. Surveys were sent to 100 Directors of Special Education; the response rate was 74%. The Directors of Special Education were asked to document the number of…

This report examines the development of school choice policies as an element of educational reform, describes open enrollment as one form of school choice, outlines other types of school choice programs, describes Minnesota's various forms of educational choice, explores arguments for and against choice, and discusses issues and concerns for…