Educational vouchers are the most controversial of numerous school-choice alternatives. This ERIC Digest provides some background on the topic and discusses the support that educational vouchers has received, as well as arguments for and against vouchers. The digest supplies information concerning the degree of success for voucher programs and…

In order to facilitate the transition to a multiracial community and to meet the prevailing desire for academic excellence, magnet schools have arisen in urban areas throughout the country. These schools meet racial quotas through voluntary enrollment and open access, promote integration through cooperative learning practices, emphasize personal…

The question of whether school choice improves student outcomes persists. This digest explores issues surrounding school choice, highlighting major research findings. Overall, the ultimate impact of choice depends on how parents and schools respond to more schooling options and greater competition. Research indicates that greater parental…

This digest suggests ways that elementary and secondary magnet schools in urban settings are perceived to provide a superior education, offers an evaluation of their effectiveness, and looks at issues for policymakers that arise from the magnet's success. Magnet schools appeal to families and students for the following reasons: (1) program…

This digest briefly reviews major approaches to restructuring American schools and evaluates their potential for improving student learning and their feasibility--politically, financially, and administratively. The following reasons for restructuring are discussed: (1) poor educational performance; and (2) the changing skills needed for today's…

Most large schools have many types of programs serving many types of students, but smaller schools, serving fewer students, may be able to have a more defined "personality," or focus. Focus schools are becoming more popular because their students tend to be high achievers and because many districts are allowing families to choose the schools they…

Research conducted during the last decade supports the notion that educational reform must be comprehensive and systemic. This paper summarizes major issues and trends in the management of elementary-secondary education. The synthesis is designed to promote an understanding of how broad in scope systemic reform must be. Twelve chapters present…

Presents a listing of ERIC documents and journal articles on public school choice as an area of education reform. Includes reports, policy arguments, and surveys of state laws and initiatives and national trends. Provides information for obtaining the listed documents. (DK)

Existing choice plans, which allow parents and students to choose among a variety of schools, vary dramatically in size, shape, and purpose. Different types of choice programs have different impacts, especially on low-income and minority group students; and it is not yet clear how school choice programs should be structured to assure that those…

This monograph explores issues related to school choice by examining available evidence for the success of choice plans. It begins with an overview of the choice movement and then describes several specific plans that illustrate the various plan types. It concludes with an appraisal of how choice will change and shape urban school reform in the…

School choice plans have been widely adopted, and most urban areas have a limited choice plan of some sort. This digest presents an overview of different choice strategies by reviewing the experiences of several urban areas. Minnesota has statewide open enrollment for all students, making all public schools throughout the state open to all…

This digest examines the unique nature of public charter schools, explains their obligations to students with disabilities, and presents the results of two federally funded studies of special education in charter schools. It finds wide variations among the 37 states which permit charter schools. The digest stresses the importance of the legal…

This guide provides information about how middle schools can promote the development and education of adolescents, especially about how they can focus students' attention on career opportunities and training. It also offers families some ideas about how they can encourage their children's career awareness, and it presents some criteria for parents…

This paper reviews 1993 trends and issues in urban education in five sections. Following an introduction, the first section describes the economic conditions of today's diverse urban public school students and the way that poverty differentially affects various ethnic and racial student groups. A second section analyzes key educational policies…

Reforms in education have raised two critical fiscal policy issues: How is education reform to be financed? and Do the dollars spent on education reform make a difference? Schools can successfully meet these challenges by practicing sound fiscal management and placing an emphasis on cost-effectiveness and accountability. In the future, a…