SEARCH
A common critique often put forth by school choice opponents is that such programs will divert students from districts, therefore “siphoning” resources from public schools. Opponents of the proposed Oklahoma education savings account program are no different. The executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association recently wrote an opinion expressing this concern, claiming that “vouchers […]
Kasey Locke’s preschool teachers in Arizona tried to help her focus and stay on task at school. But as Kasey entered kindergarten, her parents, Jeff and Rebecca, wanted to use a specific treatment to help their daughter succeed. Doctors diagnosed Kasey with autism at 3 years old, and by the time she was ready for […]
We are introducing a new calculation to our school choice program rankings this year: educational choice share, or “edchoice share.” The calculations behind this ranking seek to answer one question: Which states have the highest and lowest percentage of students exercising their educational freedom through private school choice programs? To get this number, we divided […]
We’ve given our readers an overview of school choice programs across the nation this week with rankings based on eligibility and family participation. But one major question still remains: How well are these programs funded? The best school choice policies make as many children as possible eligible to participate, but also empower participants to truly afford […]
Which of America’s school choice programs has the most participants? Which has the least? The latest edition of The ABCs of School Choice gives the most up-to-date information we have on program participation. Here, we’ve ranked the programs by how many participants they have. Eligibility, regulations, and funding also play important roles in how people […]
At the Friedman Foundation, our goal for any school choice program is universal eligibility. We believe that all parents—regardless of ZIP Code, income, or any other factors—should have access to flexible educational options. You can find specific program eligibility rates in this year’s ABCs of School Choice, or check out this comprehensive list for programs […]
Education has been at the forefront for Indiana citizens and lawmakers ever since the second term of former Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration. Indiana legislators have given various education issues a turn on the front burner over the years—funding levels, funding formula reform, test-based accountability, school choice, third grade reading, teacher evaluation, and more. But what […]
Since the launch of the nation’s first modern school choice program in 1990, nationwide participation in school choice has grown leaps and bounds—by 115,301 percent! Today, there are 59 school choice programs in 28 states and Washington, D.C., each with its own design, history, and statistics. To help make differentiating and learning from individual programs […]
In spring of this year, the Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion on the Douglas County school voucher program. Since then, proponents of the program have made headway in their journey to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of the United States. But what do voters think about Colorado’s K–12 education issues in their […]
My colleagues and I came across private school management organizations (PSMOs) in the course of our research for a Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice report, “The Chartered Course,” in 2013. Back then, we sought to understand what private school choice could learn from the charter school sector. But what we discovered is that private schools […]