Education has become one of the most important issues in American society, often dominating the political landscape in response to lagging academic achievement and persistent gaps in performance between advantaged and disadvantaged children. In response, a variety of educational reforms have been implemented ranging from increased accountability…

Since the late 1980s, school choice has become a popular education reform strategy. Parents who select which school their child attends do so for a variety of reasons, including academic, religious, or moral environment, and convenience. Differences in the proportion of students who attend an assigned school and those who attend a school selected…

This collection of papers reviews the national debate over school choice, examining the benefits for parents, children, and schools and showing how properly designed choice programs can prevent the harmful outcomes choice opponents fear. The papers discuss why choice must be addressed in the context of the real-world performance of public schools,…

Discusses the dilemma of losing concerned parents as advocates for better public schools when they choose alternative schools, the pros and cons of vouchers, and the free market's effect on public education. A discussion of Mr. Rogers, Dr. Spock, Sesame Street, and various nuns and monks highlights characteristics that are valuable in working with…

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)

The author's experiences as an urban school parent have convinced her that democratic commitments to school equity are central to creating appropriate and fair school choice. Three issues deserve educators' attention: the mixed results of voluntary desegregation programs, political and social agendas affecting public schooling, and the continuing…

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…

Reviews the following historical phases of the recent home school movement: (1) parents' contentions about public schools; (2) home school parents' confrontations with schools and the courts; (3) cooperation between public schools and home schools; and (4) consolidation of home schools. Introduces the other articles in this issue. (BJV)

Much controversy surrounds the idea of vouchers parents could apply to private education. Information about existing private school admission policies, student characteristics, student achievement, market competition, and costs is summarized in this fact sheet. The superiority claimed for private school education can be explained by student…

Describes forms of parental choice that have been proposed as policy tools to improve education and reviews research that supports these options. Parents who exercise choice tend to be better educated and to be already involved in their children's education. In the current debate, many have ignored nonchoosing parents. (SLD)

Reports the results from a longitudinal cohort analysis of achievement among elementary magnet students, neighborhood school students, and predominantly black transfer students in one urban district with a school choice program. Two successive cohorts of students were compared on achievement scores. Results indicated magnet students generally had…

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…

Provides a legislative view of the development of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Plan mandated for the city of Milwaukee, placing this initiative in the context of the educational needs of African American children. Argues that legislators must target the complex needs of poor and ethnic minority students in urban schools. (AF)

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…