ERIC Number: ED504529
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2002-Jul-8
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Districts Say Convenience for Parents, Not Competition, Is Result of Open Enrollment. Research Brief. Volume 90, Number 7
Public Policy Forum
Wisconsin's Open Enrollment program, which policymakers hope will improve educational performance by introducing competition to public schools, allows students to enroll in any district in the state, provided space is available. First implemented in the 1998-1999 school year, the program now includes 1% of all Wisconsin K-12 students. In its first year, 2,464 students transferred districts. In 2001-2002, a total of 8,390 students transferred, a 240% growth in four years. This Public Policy Forum survey of school district administrators finds few that view Open Enrollment as an incentive to compete for students by improving their educational offerings or performance. Half of the respondents feel Open Enrollment does not make public schools more competitive and three-fourths feel it does not improve education in their district. Parental convenience is the most commonly cited reason administrators give for student participation in the program. Changes that administrators would like to see include: (1) Less paperwork; (2) Count transfer students as residents for aid purposes; (3) Simplify special education costing; (4) Extend enrollment timeframe; (5) Enforce compliance by parents; (6) Create a wait list; (7) Enforce compliance by districts; and (8) Fund actual per pupil costs of receiving district. Seven percent of responding administrators indicate that no change is needed, and eleven percent would prefer to see the program eliminated.
Descriptors: Public Schools, Elementary Secondary Education, Student Participation, Competition, Program Effectiveness, Educational Change, Public Policy, Open Enrollment, Transfer Students, Enrollment Trends, School Districts, School Choice, Administrator Attitudes, Educational Improvement, Parents, Educational Administration, Special Education, Educational Finance, Expenditure per Student, School District Size
Public Policy Forum. 633 West Wisconsin Avenue Suite 406, Milwaukee, WI 53203. Tel: 414-276-8240; Fax: 414-276-9962; e-mail: forum@publicpolicyforum.org; Web site: http://www.publicpolicyforum.org
Publication Type: Collected Works - Serial; Numerical/Quantitative Data; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Public Policy Forum
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A