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ERIC Number: ED606616
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Oct
Pages: 43
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
The Tapestry of American Public Education: How Can We Create a System of Schools Worth Choosing for All?
Cookson, Peter W., Jr.; Darling-Hammond, Linda; Rothman, Robert; Shields, Patrick M.
Learning Policy Institute
School choice is a hotly debated issue in today's press, politics, and public discourse. In principle, the idea of families being able to choose the public school that is best for their children has widespread appeal. Interest in choice has been fueled in part by distinctive views about educational approaches and in part by the fact that disparities in school funding and quality result in unequal learning opportunities across schools and districts. In practice, though, efforts to create greater choice for families through privately controlled options have also raised questions about the nature of the social contract to provide education to all children and about the efficacy of markets to provide good schools for all. In addition, states and school districts struggle to provide school options that are universally high-quality, publicly accountable, and equitably available. The central question for our public education system is not whether school options exist, but whether they are good ones that are available to all children. In this report, the authors describe the many forms of public school choice currently available in the United States and examine evidence about equitable access, student outcomes, and diversity and inclusion. Based on that analysis, they present key lessons and recommendations to inform policies to create, manage, and lead systems of choice that provide all students with access to high-quality schools. This report cites examples in which the introduction of choice variously expanded or restricted access, increased or decreased segregation, and led to positive or negative impacts on student achievement, depending on how it was designed and managed. The challenge ahead is to expand quality and access within this tapestry so that every child chooses, and is chosen by, a school worth choosing. [Core ideas in this report draw on two previous documents: "Expanding high-quality educational options for all students: How states can create a system of schools worth choosing" (ED606633) and Shields, P. M., & Ali, T. T. (2018). Building a system of excellent public education. Los Angeles, CA: UniteLA & UCLA IDEA.]
Learning Policy Institute. 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Tel: 650-332-9797; e-mail: info@learningpolicyinstitute.org; Web site: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Learning Policy Institute
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A