Student performance on standardized tests in Louisiana has trailed national averages for decades. In the 2017 8th-grade reading results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Louisiana public schools tied for 42nd in the nation and rated significantly higher than only one jurisdiction, the District of Columbia. Only 25 percent of…

Voucher options like tuition tax credit-funded scholarship programs have become increasingly popular in recent years. One argument for such school choice policies is that public schools will improve the quality of education they offer when faced with competition for their students. This study examines the effects of private school competition on…

The Washington, D.C. school system has a long history of poor academic achievement; however, over the past decade, the District of Columbia has made strides in offering families greater choice about which schools their children attend, thanks to a strong charter school law and the federally funded D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. District…

From a Catholic perspective, discusses tuition tax credits and the issue of parental choice in the context of the long-running debate over the place of nonpublic schools in the United States, and the problems of declining enrollment and increasing costs facing such schools. (CMG)

By most measures, U.S. K-12 public schools continue on a path of mediocrity. To date, many states have implemented school choice programs, seeking to instill elements of competition and choice into their education systems. However, they all have limitations. An ideal school choice program would give every child a voucher or tax credit to be spent…

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…

In 1996, many states took action to give parents greater control over the education of their children. Many local school boards adopted initiatives to give parents educational choice and the ability to use vouchers to help pay tuition costs at schools of their choice. Over 200 new charter schools opened in 17 states, and an additional 6 states and…

This report presents an analysis of the school choice movement throughout the United States, and a state-by-state analysis that provides snapshots of each state's progress toward school choice and charter schools. The Children's Scholarship Fund found that 1.25 million low-income parents would take advantage of scholarships that would allow their…

Analyzes public opinion on school choice using telephone survey data from 1,508 Detroit (Michigan) metropolitan area residents. Examines within-district, cross-district, statewide, and tax credit options. Substantial support for school choice is demonstrated, and residents overall are receptive to choice, in spite of the area's history of extreme…

School choice plans have been widely adopted, and most urban areas have a limited choice plan of some sort. This digest presents an overview of different choice strategies by reviewing the experiences of several urban areas. Minnesota has statewide open enrollment for all students, making all public schools throughout the state open to all…

During 1999, the school choice movement succeeded in winning the enactment of an education tax credit program in Illinois and two new charter school laws, in addition to the sweeping (although subsequently overturned) school choice plan in Florida. Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Texas also attempted to enact school choice legislation. In addition,…

This collection presents a sampling of opinions of both proponents and opponents in the school choice debate from a variety of professional perspectives, including academics, bureaucrats, politicians, union leaders, economists, lawyers, parents, and activists. The following essays are included: (1) "School Choice Promotes Educational…