Despite growing evidence of the success of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program (DCOSP), its future beyond 2009-2010 remains uncertain. This spring, Congress included legislative language in the Omnibus Appropriations Act requiring that the DCOSP be reauthorized by Congress and authorized by the D.C. City Council before receiving new federal…

In January of 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001 (NCLB). NCLB, which passed through Congress with overwhelming support from both Republican and Democratic members, was predicated on four basic objectives to address pervasive problems within America's public schools: (1) school…

The Title I public school transfer option has sparked many debates among educators. Although there are numerous studies that reveal mobility can hurt student performance, the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law urges parents to move their children out of low performing Title I schools. Some school officials may not realize the implications the…

Education has rarely been absent from local and national public discourse. Throughout the history of modern education spanning more than a century, individuals have as a culture lamented the failures of public schooling, often making such claims based on assumptions instead of any nuanced consideration of the many influences on teaching and…

Exploring the critical role of school choice in the future of education reform, the Education Choice and Competition Index (ECCI) is an interactive web application that scores large school districts based on thirteen categories of policy and practice relevant to choice. The intent of the ECCI is to: create public awareness of the differences among…

This article presents speeches describing John McCain's position on education posted on the McCain campaign's official web site, www.johnmccain.com. These include McCain's speech to LaRaza convention, July 14; McCain's speech to the NAACP, July 16; McCain's speech at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center, May 15; and McCain's speech at…

Democrats in Congress say they are prepared to resist President Bush's level-funding budget proposal for education until the next president--who they hope will be more inclined to raise spending--takes office. That means the outcome of this year's budget showdown could hinge on the November election, not on a compromise between the White House and…

This report synthesizes findings and draws lessons about the implementation and results of the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" ("NCLB") based primarily on two longitudinal studies funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Progress to date suggests that "NCLB's" ambitious goal of having 100 percent of U.S.…

This research brief summarizes an analysis of the two educational options provided under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to students in Title I schools that are identified for improvement: school choice and supplemental educational services. Among the key findings: (1) The students participating in supplemental educational services generally…

The "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110 (U.S. Congress), was passed by Congress in response to perceived failure of the public school system to effectively educate students, particularly disadvantaged students in the United States. The relationship of NCLB school choice to student achievement has not been…

Given the strong union support for the Obama presidency, there was great speculation within education circles throughout the fall as to whether the new president would turn out to be a reformer--willing to challenge existing practices and the teachers unions in order to achieve dramatic changes in schools--or play it politically safe by backing…

Expanding schooling options for children in low performing schools is one of the major principles of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy, representing two reform initiatives for public education school improvement that have dominated the conversations among public education policymakers, test-based accountability and school choice. Given their…

Judicial decisions focusing on equal educational opportunity involve significant issues of educational governance and often involve explicit questions about the extent to which authority to make educational decisions should be centralized or decentralized across various institutions and entities. This review aims at clarifying scholars'…

Section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, authorizes the Secretary of Education to grant waivers of ESEA requirements to state educational agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), Indian tribes, and schools in order to assist them in increasing the quality of instruction for students and…

Throughout the presidential campaign, the leading Democrats have been speaking from a similar script on education--until this month, when U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois suggested that he could be persuaded to support private school vouchers. "If there was any argument for vouchers, it was "Let's see if the experiment…