Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

September 10, 2009
School Safety in Washington, D.C.: New Data for the 2007-2008 School Year
By David Muhlhausen, Ph.D., Don Soifer, and Dan Lips
(WebMemo #2609)
This WebMemo is a summary of a CDA Report by The Heritage Foundation and Lexington Institute that presents an analysis of 911 calls originating from ...

May 13, 2009
D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program: Improving Student Safety
By Shanea J. Watkins, Ph.D., and Dan Lips
(WebMemo #2437)
Members of Congress and the D.C. City Council should recognize the persistent problem of school violence and crime in public schools in the nation’s capital ...

January 7, 2009
How 'No Child Left Behind' Threatens Florida's Successful Education Reforms
By Matthew Ladner, Ph.D., and Dan Lips
(Backgrounder #2226)
Like previous federal education initiatives, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which increased federal authority over schools, has failed to deliver meaningful improvement in America's public ...

January 31, 2008
School Choice: Policy Developments and National Participation Estimates in 2007–2008
By Dan Lips
(Backgrounder #2102)
School choice improves parents' satisfaction with their children's schools, and public schools that face competition have shown improved performance, yet opponents continue to oppose reforms ...

November 5, 2007
Improving Educational Opportunities for Foster Children
By Dan Lips
(Heritage Lecture #1050)
Research evidence and surveys of former foster children find many common problems in the classroom, such as persistent low expectations and instability caused by frequent ...

September 4, 2007
How Members of Congress Practice Private School Choice
By Evan Feinberg
(Backgrounder #2066)
According to a 2007 survey conducted by The Heritage Foundation, 37 percent of U.S. Representatives and 45 percent of U.S. Senators sent their children to ...

June 5, 2007
Foster Care Children Need Better Educational Opportunities
By Dan Lips
(Backgrounder #2039)
Because the estimated 518,000 children in foster care are among the most at-risk children in American society, and because the quality of their primary and ...

February 16, 2007
Utah's Revolutionary New School Voucher Program
By Dan Lips and Evan Feinberg
(WebMemo #1362)
Utah has created the most comprehensive school choice program in the nation.

September 18, 2006
School Choice: 2006 Progress Report
By Dan Lips and Evan Feinberg
(Backgrounder #1970)
School choice programs have been shown to increase parental satisfaction, improve academic achievement of participating children, and improve public school performance through competition. Already in ...

September 1, 2006
Are Public or Private Schools Doing Better? How the NCES Study Is Being Misinterpreted
By Shanea Watkins
(Backgrounder #1968)
A recent study published by the National Center for Education Statistics is being used in an effort to discredit private school voucher programs, but its ...

May 30, 2006
America's Opportunity Scholarships for Kids: School Choice for Students in Underperforming Public Schools
By Dan Lips
(Backgrounder #1939)
The Bush Administration's America's Opportunity Scholarships for Kids initiative would provide real school choice to American parents. In addition to helping children trapped in failing ...

April 18, 2006
School Choice and Supplemental Services:
Administration Slow to Hold School Districts
Accountable Under NCLB
By David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1041)
The Alliance for School Choice and Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education recently filed complaints against the school districts of Los Angeles and Compton, California, ...

April 25, 2005
Choices in Education: 2005 Progress Report
By Krista Kafer
(Backgrounder #1848)
Parental choice is spreading: 11 states and the District of Columbia have publicly funded voucher or tax credit programs, 40 states and D.C. have charter ...

April 19, 2005
How School Choice Programs Can Save Money
By Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #727)
School choice is fiscally prudent.

April 6, 2005
A Promising Start for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program
By Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #710)
The first evaluation is in: DC's opportunity scholarship program is off to a great start.

December 17, 2004
Why the NCES Study Is Not the Only--Or Best--Word on Charter School Evaluation
By Jennifer A. Marshall and Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #624)
Why to be wary of the NCES study on charters.

December 14, 2004
New Research Brings Good News About Charter Schools
By Jennifer A. Marshall and Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #622)
A new study on charters shows their successes.

September 8, 2004
Girl Power: Why Girls Don't Need the Women's Educational Equity Act
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #563)
Girls don't need an Educational Equity Act to succeed.

September 3, 2004
What Parents Should Know for Back to School
By Grace Smith
(WebMemo #561)
Two years after No Child Left Behind parents have access to more information about the quality of public schools than ever before.

April 15, 2004
Frequently Asked Questions about Education in America
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #478)
Answers to basic questions educational funding, achievement, and choice in America.

March 19, 2004
School Choice in 2003: An Old Concept Gains New Life
By Krista Kafer
(Legal Memorandum #9)
No one school can serve all students equally well. Ultimately, school choice is about enabling all parents to enroll their children in the public, public ...

February 2, 2004
A Time for Choice
By The Honorable Rod Paige
(Heritage Lecture #820)
The new D.C. Choice Incentive Program launches a five-year, federally funded program to provide close to 2,000 low-income students in the District of Columbia with ...

January 26, 2004
Congress Establishes First Federal Voucher Program for D.C. Students
By Jonathan Butcher and Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #404)
Congress passed the first federal voucher program for students in the District of Columbia as part of the 2004 appropriations omnibus.

November 18, 2003
Don't Over Regulate D.C. Vouchers
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #371)
Congress has the opportunity to give low-income parents in the District of Columbia scholarships of up to $7,500 to enroll their children in a private ...

September 3, 2003
How Members of Congress Practice School Choice
By Krista Kafer and Jonathan Butcher
(Backgrounder #1684)
Members of Congress will soon have the opportunity to grant low-income District of Columbia families the chance to choose where their children attend school. If ...

July 22, 2003
D.C. Scholarship Proposal Would Give Students Access to Quality Schools
By Krista Kafer
(Backgrounder #1671)
Some of the poorest performing public schools in America can be found in the nation's capital. Despite per-pupil expenditures of more than $11,000, 94 percent ...

July 10, 2003
Progress on School Choice in the States
By Krista Kafer
(Backgrounder #1639)
In 2003, Congress will consider new choice legislation as well as the reauthorization of several key federal education programs, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education ...

July 10, 2003
D.C. Scholarship Program Offers Needed Reforms
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #316)
The D.C. Parental Choice Incentive Act would enable low-income parents in the District of Columbia to enroll their children in private schools through a scholarship ...

August 9, 2002
Education Statistics
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #134)
A compilation of national education statistics.

July 17, 2002
Education 101
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #127)
Basic national education statistics.

July 17, 2002
District Students Need Better Schools Not More Schooling
By Krista Kafer
(Testimony )
Research shows that high standards, effective teaching and curricula, an effective testing regimen, usable data, effective remediation, strong administrative leadership, and increased parental choices improve ...

June 27, 2002
Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling In Favor of School Choice
By The Heritage Foundation
(WebMemo #122)
In a long-anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court today upheld the Cleveland school choice program against a federal constitutional challenge and made it extremely unlikely that ...

June 19, 2002
Implementation Watch: Students' Rights Under the No Child Left Behind Act
By Krista Kafer
(WebMemo #113)
States and school districts must implement the school choice provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act at the beginning of the new school year. ...

May 22, 2002
Another Look at How Members of Congress Exercise School Choice
By Jennifer Garrett
(Backgrounder #1553)
Many opponents of school choice send their own children to private schools. They would be hard-pressed to explain why the same educational option should not ...

February 6, 2002
Maryland Needs a Strong Public Charter School Law
By Krista Kafer
(Testimony )
The Maryland Senate can take the first steps to rebuilding Maryland's schools by enacting a strong public charter school law.