In this week's Scribecast, former DC Councilman Kevin P. Chavous discusses school choice and education reform, in the District and around the country. Lachlan Markay hosts. Click here to subscribe to Scribecast, the weekly podcast of the Center for Media and Public Policy. … Read more
From The Heritage Foundation, I'm Ernest Istook. … Read more
Across the country, states are enacting and expanding school choice options for families. This year alone, 12 states and the District of Columbia have implemented new school choice options for children or expanded existing options, leading The Wall Street Journal to label 2011 “The Year of School Choice.”[1] … Read more
Obama Executive Overreach Waivers: After failing to get its education agenda through Congress on its own rushed timeline, the Obama Administration intends to grant conditions-based waivers to states from the onerous provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB requires all students to be proficient in math and reading… Read more
We're used to hearing bad news from the education front: poor test scores, falling literacy, slipping standards. But the new academic year brings a welcome change: School-choice programs have expanded significantly in recent months. Indeed, the Wall Street Journal has already dubbed 2011 the Year of School Choice. As of… Read more
Abstract: 2011 has been a milestone year for school choice, setting the bar high for state legislatures across the country to increase families’ educational options. What began with a crucial re-authorization of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program continued… Read more
School choice offers families the opportunity to select schools that meet their child’s needs. Watch the video from Heritage Foundation explaining school choice, how it benefits parents and children and why school choice is needed. … Read more
In this week's Heritage in Focus podcast, Lindsey Burke discusses what the Wall Street Journal has dubbed "the year of school choice." David Weinberger hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more… Read more
Carmen and Ronald Holassie discuss Ronald's educational opportunity with the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program. … Read more
In this week's Heritage in Focus podcast, Lindsey Burke discusses the wave of state-based school choice programs springing up across the country. Hannah Sternberg hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more… Read more
THE ISSUE: American education is at a crossroads. The federal government’s role in education has grown significantly over the past half-century, infringing on our long-held principle of federalism in education. Massive spending increases, and the reams of regulations that accompany… Read more
Revised and updated October 4, 2010. Abstract: An education gap between white students and their black and Hispanic peers is something to which most Americans have become accustomed. But this racial division of… Read more
Congress put school vouchers to the test in 2004 when it authorized the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP), a federally funded voucher program serving low-income students in the nation’s capital. It has awarded $7,500 scholarships to more than 3,700 students over the past six years. Congress… Read more
School choice is in high demand and growing. Twenty years ago, few states had policies or programs allowing parents the freedom to make choices in their children's education. Today, 11 states and the District of Columbia… Read more
A recent study published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) contains some surprising results based on a snapshot of student achievement data. According to the study, public school students are performing better than private school students in fourth grade mathematics and at the same level as private school students in fourth grade reading… Read more
A study published by the Department of Education (DOE) in June, “The Evaluation of Charter School Impacts,” highlights the many benefits of charter schools. The results show unambiguously that parents are substantially more satisfied with charter schools and the academic and social development of their children who attend compared to… Read more
Millions of students across the United States are enrolled in persistently failing public schools. During the 2004-2005 school year, 2,112 Title I public schools were identified as having failed to make adequate yearly progress for five or more years. This represents 23 percent of all Title I-eligible schools. … Read more
Abstract: In Canada, the province of Alberta has long encouraged school choice. Historically, Alberta has had two school systems between which parents may choose: the “public” system and a “separate” system. Other Alberta choices include charter, private, and French-language schools. Homeschooling is encouraged and… Read more
Across the United States, policymakers are increasingly adopting education policies that give families the power to choose their children’s schools. Nonetheless, the idea of providing school vouchers to allow children to attend private schools remains controversial. For instance, congressional leaders and the Obama Administration have tried to end a successful… Read more
Many Members of Congress value the opportunity to choose a safe and effective school for their own children, yet many of these same Members consistently oppose school choice legislation that would give the same opportunity to other families. For example, Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) have been outspoken opponents of school choice… Read more
On Monday, Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., signed into law the "Parent Choice in Education" Act (H.B. 148).[1] The legislation, which was sponsored by Rep. Stephen H. Urquhart (R-St. George) and Sen. Curtis S. Bramble (R-Provo), creates a sweeping school voucher program that puts Utah on track to offer all… Read more
According to Dr. Michael Walker Jones of the Louisiana Association of Educators, low-income parents “don’t have a clue”...… Read more
Few legislators have done more to advance school choice than Kevin Chavous. As a city councilmember in Washington D.C....… Read more
Yesterday, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) spoke at The Heritage Foundation as part of National School Choice Week and to mark...… Read more
With a growing number of school choice programs comes a growing body of research on how educational opportunity...… Read more
Joseph Kelley knew something was wrong when his son Rashawn flunked first grade. “I knew he knew his alphabet forward...… Read more
When the first National School Choice Week began just one year ago, the prospect of educational opportunity for hundreds...… Read more
What singular cause could bring together the likes of Democratic campaign strategist James Carville, Republican Governor...… Read more
As the new year unfolds, governors are beginning to outline their education plans for 2012. Virginia Governor Bob...… Read more
Like the rest of us, state and local policymakers across the country probably made New Year’s resolutions to eat...… Read more
There was no lack of education news in 2011. From an explosion in school choice options to the Obama Administration's...… Read more
Senior Policy Analyst
Director, Domestic Policy Studies
Visiting Fellow