New York City has the largest public school district in the U.S., but the city's diverse educational landscape also includes charter, private, and religious schools, all of which have undergone a major transformation in the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last two school years, overall school enrollment in the city was down by…

The meaning, measurement, and implications of "public opinion" have long been a source of debate. In this paper, we examine the extent to which the educational priorities of elites in the US reflect the educational priorities of the American public. To do so, we focus on one particular segment of the education policy-making elite --…

In a comprehensive study of two-hundred fifty homeschooling families in urban, rural and suburban areas of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the researcher examined all aspects of the instruction, materials and curricula employed by the families in a ten-year longitudinal study from 1998 through 2008. The researcher conducted interviews and…

The need for alternative education programs that work is paramount in light of the nation's public education crisis. The problem is that alternative education programs fail to adequately address the issues that At-Risk students bring to, and face in, the alternative and/or the traditional classroom. This study utilized a qualitative and a…

Studied how enrollment size influences two organizational features of schools: curriculum and social relations. Interviews with teachers, principals, guidance counselors, and students in six public high schools and three schools of choice (two religious, one public) showed the personal nature of social relations in small schools and the targeting…

This paper reviews the history of family choice opportunities in public schools. It offers detailed examinations of the several choice models that have proved widespread: (1) open enrollment plans; (2) magnet schools; (3) schools within schools; (4) satellites and separate alternatives; and (5) interdistrict choice plans. (Author/LMO)

A Nebraska district surveyed parents' reasons for sending their children to private or Catholic schools. Reasons could be grouped in categories: concerns and issues (such as religion) that public schools cannot address; and concerns (such as discipline, values, curriculum, and academic rigor) public schools could address by changing their programs…

The debate over school choice has been dominated by research findings that emphasize the impacts of school choice on standardized test results. This study of the attitudes of parents in Cleveland (Ohio) and Milwaukee (Wisconsin) indicates that test results are not what interest parents most when they are facing school choice. Parents are…

This brief examines how No Child Left Behind (NCLB) dollars flow from the federal government through states and districts and into the coffers of companies, mostly for-profit companies. The brief makes the case that the law enriches many private companies and individuals, especially those close to President George W. Bush and his family. The brief…

This publication aims to briefly describe the important features and general characteristics of education in the United States. It is important to note that, due to the highly decentralized nature of U.S. education, policies and practices can vary considerably from state to state and from school district to school district. This publication cites…