Provides a historical overview of public education, advocates freedom of choice as the best method for distributing education, describes some of the benefits of parental choice, and answers objections to tuition tax credits. (SK)

The voucher model of financing schooling is becoming increasingly common throughout Latin America, with at least 12 countries using vouchers or voucher-like schemes. The present study focuses on the voucher models of Colombia and Chile, which have the most extensive programs of this type and those of the longest standing in the region. Using…

Examines market and bureaucratic control of education in terms of "institutions" typically analyzed by economists. Focuses on hybrid educational institutions combining bureaucratic and market control (called "quasi-markets") in Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and New Zealand. Finds little evidence of improved efficiency of quasi-markets…

A 2002 study, "Race in American Public Schools: Rapidly Resegregating School Districts," identified Michigan as the state with the most segregated schools in the nation. The present data brief looks at changes in the distribution of Michigan's African American students between 1992-93 and 2004-05 to determine if African American students…

Through a historical picture of school allocation and residential change, and a detailed comparison of residential and school-based social segregation over time, this paper examines the relationship between residential differentiation and school segregation in the United Kingdom, describing the extent to which introduction of market principles,…

This book is designed to develop a general conceptualization of equality of educational opportunity and to use it to characterize the problems confronting public education in the United States. It is argued that educational opportunities and educational results cannot be disentangled. After an overview in chapter 1, chapter 2, "A Radical…

Tuition tax credits and their possible future effects from the point of view of a supporter are discussed in this paper. The discussion includes a look at the positive effects of homogeneity in schools, maintaining that achievement is higher in private schools, where students and parents share common attitudes toward discipline and education. Also…

This study examined whether charter schools, in states where they now enroll at least 5,000 students, are more or less segregated than their public school counterparts, also noting racial/ethnic guidelines in the current state charter legislation. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics 2000-01 Common Core of Data were collected on…

Opponents of school choice argue that economically advantaged families will get the best schools, and socioeconomic and racial segregation will only increase. If choice allows better matching of child to school, then parent information levels can critically affect the outcome. Very few data are available that directly confirm the presence or…

This document consists of articles 1-11 published in the electronic journal "Education Policy Analysis Archives" for the year 2001: (1) "School Segregation of Children Who Migrate to the United States from Puerto Rico" (Luis M. Laosa); (2) "Testing Times: A School Case Study" (Ivor Goodson and Martha Foote); (3) "Impact of U.S. Overseas Schools in…

With diminishing returns to the peer group, it is optimal social policy to mix children in schools. We consider what happens when, contrary to the outcome being determined by a social planner, schools and children are free to seek each other out: with some caveats, this leads to perfect segregation by child quality. It is shown that this is the…

Identifies some of the salient characteristics of American private schools. Examines possible effects that the status composition of the student body might have in influencing the educational opportunity structure. Raises questions about the educational and social equity of supporting private schools financially through school choice mechanisms…

This paper describes the results of research examining the racial and socioeconomic segregation of public schools in two very different cities, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Houston (Texas). Factors that explain the degree of racial and economic segregation and the consequences of this segregation for student academic achievement were examined.…

This study examined motivation and residential distribution of parents who enrolled their children in Special Program Non-Neighborhood schools in Tel-Aviv (Israel). Results suggest that enrollment may serve as an alternative to residential mobility for families with high educational and professional status relative to their area of residence. (JB)

A large central government providing numerous public services has long been a hallmark of Swedish society, which is also well-known for its pursuit of equality. Yet in the 1990s, Sweden moved away from this tradition in education, introducing market-oriented reforms that decentralized authority over public schools and encouraged competition…