On April 5, 2005, the Georgetown Public Policy Institute released its first of several reports on the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The 100+ page report describes the characteristics of the initial group of participating students and their families and offers important first-year comparative data. Moreover, the report provides important…

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…

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…

As a follow-up to an earlier ECS report on the extent to which states were prepared to implement President Bush's education plan, this report provides an in-depth examination of three major Bush plan initiatives: assessing student performance, motivating and assessing low-performing schools, and providing school-choice options. The report begins…

This report examines the outcomes of the John M. McKay Scholarships Program, a statewide voucher program for students with disabilities in Florida that provides students with taxpayer-funded vouchers to be used at private schools or at other public schools. It argues that the McKay voucher program, which started in 1999, is rife with…

Inspired by the gains in student achievement realized by the small schools movement in New York City, the Oakland Unified School District (California) has proposed creating a network of 10 new, small autonomous (NSA) schools over the next 3 years. School size will range between 250 and 500 students, depending on grade level. "Autonomous"…

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.…

This book looks at the privatization of education as an ideological construct. In exploring and assessing the concept of privatized education, it focuses on the debate over private choice and school vouchers. It also looks at the development of private curriculums and educational materials created by corporations, various scholarship-funding…

This monograph reviews various strands of research on school effectiveness in developed and developing countries. It addresses a central theme of educational planning: how deliberate actions by policymakers, school administrators, teachers, and parents can help in the attainment of educational goals. Chapter 1, "Conceptualization: Perspectives on…

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…

While reformers have taken many steps in recent years to raise student achievement, and have enacted higher standards, introduced new instructional strategies, and sought out stronger teachers, it is increasingly clear to business leaders that the public education system is not going to respond sufficiently to reformers without incentives to…

Private education in the United States has endured pressure from all sides. However, religious schooling has not only survived but is growing and thriving. The paper examines the impact of private education on trends such as quality, decentralization, and consumer choice, and outlines four private school issues that remain unresolved. (SM)

Compares characteristics of those schools that have experienced an increase in awarding undergraduate economics degrees with those suffering a decrease. Findings suggest that business/management degrees offer competition against economics degrees. Schools not offering business/management are less at risk. (MJP)

Argues that a return to native language education has escalated the tensions and contradictions of the politics of bilingualism. Examines the events pertinent to the language shift from English as a medium of instruction to Chinese in Hong Kong. Emphasizes controversial issues, such as parental choice, antagonism of elite classes, and group…

Trends fostered by globalization have increased pressures for school choice in westernized nations. A review of international research indicates that policies that increase school choice can balance the tensions inherent in simultaneously educating for diversity and social cohesion, but only if carefully designed and monitored. Civil society must…