This paper considers how school choice is, or is not, a form of privatization in education. Although "privatization" is a predominant reform movement apparent across the globe, the term is used imprecisely, making it difficult to assess the relationship of the movement to education. The first part of this analysis distinguishes essential characteristics of privatization from other sectors to establish a framework from which to appraise the presence or extent of privatization elements in school-choice policies. The second part takes a closer look at different forms of school choice to see how they may embody the elements of privatization suggested in this framework. In this context, school-choice programs in the U.S. do not usually fit typical conceptions of privatization because they do not change the ownership arrangement of schools. At most, school-choice plans draw on a mixture of public and private resources in providing education to the public. This analysis deepens the discussion by clarifying what is meant by privatization. It explores how and in what way school choice may be part of the larger global privatization movement and offers a more complex and comprehensive conception of this phenomenon. (Contains over 350 references.) (RT)