This annotated bibliography offers a sampling of a wide variety of viewpoints on the topic of school choice. Fourteen references selected for annotation, ranging from a 3-page journal article to a 266-page book, are listed at the beginning of the bibliography. Among the viewpoints that different authors represent are the following: (1) unlimited…

The Assisted Places Scheme introduced by England's Conservative government in 1980 provides for the government to make up the difference between the cost of private secondary school tuition and the amount that eligible students can afford to pay (determined according to a sliding scale based on parent income). As a result, the private schools can…

The value system of a school is a major factor affecting the teacher's working conditions, but public discourse on educational reform tends to avoid serious discussion of the most deeply embedded values in our educational system. This absence of serious reflection on values limits consideration of alternatives for improving both education and the…

Uses Milwaukee's school choice/voucher initiative to illustrate how politically motivated evaluation and compromise legislation can dilute potentially beneficial educational innovations. The initiative's success despite counterproductive legislative tampering and biased evaluation is addressed, along with a discussion of the evaluation's…

Examines the change in black attitudes towards a greater acceptance of school vouchers, charter schools, and other reforms that offer alternatives to the dismal prospects inherent in attending urban public schools. Describes examples of the school choice movement in action and discusses the reasons blacks have begun embracing it. (GR)

Discusses decentralization and parental choice as the two central elements of the current wave of reform. Argues that the introduction of competition to schooling affects schools' need to increase their attractiveness and does not necessarily correspond with pedagogical considerations. Discusses some possible consequences of quasi-market…

Outlines a reform strategy for primary education that has been successful in several countries. The author discusses formulating the reform objective, deregulating the schools to allow greater flexibility for change and quality enhancement, and letting the market define standards and objectives in the competition for parents' choices. Sweden's…

Americans rate improving schools as a higher priority than lowering crime or improving the economy, but neither Republicans nor Democrats have strong proposals. Most of the money needed to improve the situation is already in place via federal Title I education funds. Title I could be turned into a voucher program, making it a federal education…

Case studies of nine Alberta charter schools examined the role of charter schools in educational reform. The real promise of charter schools resides less in fostering innovation and efficiency in public education, and more in providing parental school choice and addressing diverse values and goals of education. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/TD)

Examines the school choice movement in the United States, which advocates claim will make schools more efficient by allowing parents to select the best schools for their children. Argues that the school choice movement is a surreptitious plan to gradually put the functions of public education in private hands, with public funds going to support…

This paper traces the evolution of the choice idea over three generations, from a market model concerned with economic liberty, to a demand for social justice based on equality, to a political movement that translates the idea into policy. Focusing on the last generation, it explains why the market concept has lacked political appeal and how…

This statistically representative survey of 1,203 likely Virginia voters illustrates public opinion on a wide range of K-12 education issues. The underlying purpose of the Friedman Foundation's state surveys is to measure voter knowledge and attitudes toward public institutions and policies, innovative ideas, and the state's K-12 education system.…

The tradition of academic excellence in the arts, culture, mathematics, and science in Bulgaria that was set aside under communism remains the goal of the Bulgarian government with legislation designed to replace the ideological doctrine subordinating education under a totalitarian regime and to restore Bulgaria's historical tradition. The new law…

School choice is advocated on the theory that deregulation and greater market control can restructure and improve education. While certain market strategies of improvement are worth exploring, complex production functions, unclear goals, and the political role of education in society limit the extent to which education can be understood and…

This report asserts that the the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) are failing. The report claims that teacher incompetence, bureaucratic corruption, crumbling infrastructure, violence, lax academic standards, and wasteful spending are some of the many problems, and children attending the DCPS are not receiving a quality education.…