Choice is the basis for Minnesota's school improvement plan. School districts decide whether they want to participate, but they may not be selective about who they admit. Districts must release students who want to attend school elsewhere. The plan is too new to evaluate, but public support for it is increasing. (VM)

Describes how a Parent Council and school system administrators collaborated to develop a citywide magnet school desegregation plan, which increased parents' choices and introduced competition among public schools for the patronage of parents and students and for achievement of academic excellence. (RDN)

A school superintendent describes the restructuring in his Springfield (Massachusetts) school district. The effort to desegregate from the perspectives of race, color, ethnic background, and gender has involved organizational, pedagogical, social, attitudinal, and political transformation. Emphasis is given to the district's choice system. (SLD)

The experience of the school-choice program in Alum Rock (California) illustrates how a determined effort to reach all parents and provide them with information about choices and programs can have a reasonable degree of success. Parental information is essential in avoiding inequities of opportunity. (SLD)

Choice plans include private schools (voucher plans, tax credits and deductions, and contract services and charter plans) and public schools (intradistrict choice, interdistrict choice, and statewide choice). Issues spanning both areas are those of curricular choice and residential choice. (SLD)

Explains issues involved in establishing "charter schools," public schools set up by outside educators or others under a contract granted by some responsible public body. Elements of the Minnesota charter law are discussed. The idea of alternate sponsorship is critical to new and better ways of education. (SLD)

Argues that school choice plans should be limited to public schools. A system of controlled choice overcomes many problems associated with school choice. District 4 of the New York City public schools offers an example of how greater choice for parents has reinvigorated innercity schools. (SLD)