Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is the single largest federal investment in K-12 education, supplying over $12.7 billion annually in funding to the states. Although not all schools are identified as Title I schools, all public schools are subject to certain accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act…

To an unprecedented degree, this is the era of educational entrepreneurship. Unconventional thinkers have waded into the world of K-12 education, founded influential organizations, and upended conventions. They have developed new models for delivering instruction or recruiting teachers and have applied old-fashioned practices with inspired…

Public education matters, whether you're a student, parent, teacher, administrator, employer, or taxpayer. Although you undoubtedly know something about public education, you may be unaware of important facts about the U.S. educational system or may be surprised to learn how things have changed in recent years. This edition of "A Public…

This article is a policy analysis that considers how the policy option of using federal programs to promote educational choice was proposed and debated in the 106th and 107th Congresses. This debate was part of the reauthorization of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) between 1999 and 2001. Over the past 20 years,…

The long-sustained effort of conservatives and their think tanks and media outlets to win support for school choice, market forces, and privatization schemes in education is paying off. But it is encountering steady resistance from the public education establishment and its supporting teachers' unions. Actions, reactions, strategies, and the…

Every four years, the presidential election campaign unfolds, and the position of the candidates on education is predictable: They are in favor of it. Something else is easy to predict: In every presidential campaign, hot-button issues--some important and some infuriatingly not--suck up most of the oxygen, and the hoped-for focus on education…

An interesting thing happened on the way to implementing the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act. When federal officials focused on one of the pillars of the legislation--school choice--they found that many of the states were way ahead of them on this issue. Moreover, choice is a near-empty policy in many urban districts where the NCLB is…

This report, for the first time ever, provides a state-by-state breakdown of the key elements a policymaker needs in order to understand the legal environment for school choice in any given state--and to craft appropriate legislation to expand educational opportunity. This guide is intended to arm policymakers and advocates with the essential…

To measure the extent to which schools are properly informing parents about NCLB school choice we sent emails to choice-eligible schools requesting information. The emails were made ambiguous in their origin and purpose so that schools could believe that they came from parents. What we found was widespread lack of cooperation. The vast majority of…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama," as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Beyond some contracted minimum, salaried workers' hours are largely chosen at the worker's discretion and should respond to the strength of contract incentives. Accordingly, we consider the response of teacher hours to accountability and school choice laws introduced in U.S. public schools over the past two decades. Total weekly hours of full-time…

The "close-and-reopen" option, as it's called, has several distinct advantages. It provides an opportunity to enlist the interest and energy of the community in changing and improving an underachieving school. It serves as a mechanism for heightening the visibility and promoting the spread of promising practices across the public education system.…

Comments on educational issues which could be favorably affected by the passage of the Packwood-Moynihan Tuition Tax Credit bill. Indicates that tuition tax credits can help parents seek better schools and give those with low incomes a greater role in finding the best educational alternatives for their children. (JOW)

Supports the Packwood-Moynihan Tuition Tax Credit bill because of its importance to the poor, the working class, and all whose children are trapped in educationally deteriorating and physically dangerous public schools. (JOW)

This booklet contains detailed information about topics related to opportunities offered by "No Child Left Behind" ("NCLB"): (1) closing the achievement gap; (2) parental involvement; (3) school choice; and (4) tutoring and financial aid for college. The publication is designed as a working tool, including space for individual…