This study examines parental choice preferences following the introduction of the Free Schools policy in England. It reports on two phases of data collection: first, the analysis of factors that Free School and non-Free School parents reported as important in informing their choices; and, second, findings from semi-structured interviews with…

Consistent, reliable data are hard to come by given vastly differing opinions on the role states should play in creating structures, tracking data, and monitoring outcomes on homeschooling. The goal of this brief is to cut through some of this complexity and provide policymakers with an objective resource on homeschooling, including what is known…

For more than a century, public education in the U.S. has been defined as schools that are funded, regulated, and exclusively delivered by government. The past 25 years have brought some diversified forms of delivery through charter schools and various private-school scholarship mechanisms. Nevertheless, most discussions and debates over school…

Background: This study investigated parental decision making about non-parental child care programs based on the technological and quality components of the program, both child-focused and parent-focused. Child-focused variables related to children's access to technology such as computers, educational television programming, and the internet.…

This study explored the factors that influenced parental decisions to exit a public school and enroll their children in a private school. It also explored why parents chose the specific private school their child attends and the level of satisfaction they have with their private school choice. The key reasons for leaving public education were: (a)…

This collection of papers reviews the state of U.S. education 20 years after the original "A Nation at Risk" report on the quality of schools by the National Commission on Educational Excellence. The first paper presents "Findings and Recommendations by the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education." Part 1, "'A Nation at Risk': Then and Now," includes:…

This report presents the results of a study conducted by the Educational Priorities Panel (EPP) to determine what educational and support services New York City vocational education students receive, and to examine the characteristics of vocational education programs in city high schools. The two fields chosen for in-depth examination were data…