The number of students choosing to open enroll in Greater Minnesota has been trending upward consistently since the policy was developed, but within the last ten years, these patterns have been intensifying, and in such a way that they are impacting how districts plan their programming, busing, and finances. Many districts are even be forced to…

Policy surrounding K-12 online learning continues to evolve as the field grows exponentially. In Michigan, Section 21f of the State School Aid Act enacted in 2013 strengthened parents' and students' ability to request online courses: "A student enrolled in a district in any of grades 6 to 12 is eligible to enroll in an online course as…

The "Minnesota K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Minnesota registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

The Minnesota Independent School Forum (MISF) contracted with Wilder Research to conduct a study of private K-12 education in Minnesota, referred to as the Statewide Census of Private Education (SCOPE). The Minnesota Independent School Forum conducted prior SCOPE surveys in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2012. MISF also contracted with Wilder to conduct…

A state legislator who played a key role in enacting the nation's first charter school law in Minnesota tells the story of shaping the ideas and the bill. She now looks for ways that charter schools can coexist with traditional public schools to deliver a better education for all children.

To better understand the reach and impact of private education in Minnesota, the Minnesota Independent School Forum contracted with Wilder Research to conduct a study of private schools throughout the state. The results of the study provide a comprehensive portrait of private K-12 schools including private school characteristics and programs,…

Discusses eight myths about school choice and attempts to settle some of the main arguments on the basis of experiences in Minnesota and elsewhere. Reviews some of the variety of established choice policies and describes the components of an effective program. (SR)

Joe Nathan, author of "Free to Teach: Achieving Equity and Excellence in Schools," argues in favor of educational vouchers; Lew Finch, superintendent of the Anoka-Hennepin Independent School District, Minnesota, argues against vouchers. (MLF)

This study identified the capitalization effects of public school choice programs, using data on an inter-district, open enrollment program in Minnesota. The study examined changes in property tax bases in Minnesota as a result of the shift from local monopolies of public schooling to open enrollment. It investigated the effect of transferring…

Presents a brief history of charter schools, summarizes important elements, discusses key lessons from the charter school movement, and explores some unanswered questions. Charter schools can positively affect student achievement, attendance, and attitude; often focus on low- and moderate-income youngsters; provide talented educators with…

If Minnesota public school choice programs were as bad as Judith Pearson's "Kappan" (June 1989) article alleges, most teachers would not support them. There would be declining cooperation among rural school districts, little interest in handicapped or "unattractive" students' needs, and a teacher shortage. As this article…

Disenchantment with 1980s school reform progress has produced school choice--the get-tough, marketplace approach to school improvement. Choice proposals in California fit two categories: interdistrict plans and intradistrict plans. The latter is already a common option featuring open enrollment and management and continuation schools. Two sidebars…

Minnesota is leading the school choice movement, but Governor Perpich's promotional tours may be somewhat premature. This article examines the open enrollment concept and its consequences, including charges of elitism and application of private enterprise principles to education. Open enrollment contradicts the legislature's duty to establish a…

A major alternative in school choice is the concept of charter schools: public schools delivering public education and using public dollars, but organized by individuals or groups, not school boards, and operating legally as private, nonprofit organizations or cooperatives. This paper explores the charter school as another option in the search for…

In recent years, many policy makers, including officials in the Federal Government and the National Governors' Association, have advocated public school choice as the answer to the problems of public education. In 1987, Minnesota was the first state to pass legislation implementing a statewide, interdistrict, open enrollment plan for public…