Special Report posted January 28, 2013 by Lindsey Burke, Virginia Walden Ford, Dan Lips, Jennifer A. Marshall, Jason Richwine, Ph.D., Rachel Sheffield, Evan Walter
Choosing to Succeed
Edited by Lindsey M. Burke
In his enduring 1964 convention speech “A Time for Choosing,” Ronald Reagan remarked that “outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.” If we believe as Reagan did that markets are superior to monopolies in every aspect of our lives, why then do we consign…
WebMemo posted March 8, 2010 by Dan Lips
School Choice in Sweden: An Interview with Thomas Idergard of Timbro
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 school…
WebMemo posted January 29, 2010 by Dan Lips
Ways to Make Higher Education More Affordable
President Obama has proposed a new plan to cap student loan payments at 10 percent of the borrower’s discretionary income. Borrowers with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty line (or approximately $33,000) would be required to make no payment, and the balance of a borrower’s loan would be forgiven after 20 years for a private-sector worker and 10 years for a…
WebMemo posted January 26, 2010 by Dan Lips
A Smarter Path to a "Race to the Top" in Education Reform
The Obama Administration has signaled that it will include a $1.35 billion expansion of the “Race to the Top” (RTTT) fund in its FY 2011 budget.[1] This is in addition to the $4.35 billion for RTTT included in last year’s stimulus bill.[2] Under the Department of Education’s (DOE) guidelines for RTTT, states must meet certain requirements to be eligible for a share of…
Backgrounder posted January 21, 2010 by David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D., Dan Lips
Head Start Earns an F: No Lasting Impact for Children by First Grade
Abstract: Recently released results from the Head Start Impact Study indicate that the benefits of participating in Head Start almost completely disappear by first grade. While other studies have previously assessed Head Start's effectiveness, this is the only study that used a rigorous experimental design. Given this strongly negative evaluation, Congress should…
Backgrounder posted January 12, 2010 by Dan Lips
How Online Learning Is Revolutionizing K-12 Education and Benefiting Students
Abstract: Virtual or online learning is revolutionizing American education. It has the potential to dramatically expand the educational opportunities of American students, largely overcoming the geographic and demographic restrictions. Virtual learning also has the potential to improve the quality of instruction, while increasing productivity and lowering costs,…
Education Notebook posted January 4, 2010 by Dan Lips
Politicizing Preschool
Before we invest $10 billion to fund new programs for preschoolers, let's get an answer to the $100 billion question: Does Head Start provide lasting benefits? Universal health care may top the wish-lists of many liberals this Christmas -- but universal preschool isn't far behind. President Obama is doing his best to play the role of Santa, bringing subsidized…
WebMemo posted September 15, 2009 by Dan Lips
Student Lending and College Affordability: Alternative Approaches to Reform
The U.S. House of Representatives will soon consider H.R. 3221,
the "Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009,"
legislation that will terminate the Federal Family Education Loan
(FFEL) program, expand the Federal Direct Loan program, and
increase spending on other post-secondary education programs.[1] If
enacted, the legislation will mark a dramatic shift in…
WebMemo posted May 13, 2009 by Shanea Watkins, Ph.D., Dan Lips
D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program: Improving Student Safety
Congress will soon hold hearings to consider the future of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, the federal initiative that currently helps 1,700 low-income students attend private schools in Washington, D.C. After five years, federal policymakers have an opportunity to evaluate the evidence about this program's impact on the educational opportunities for…