Black Elementary Students May Reap Most Gains From Vouchers

By Jeff Archer

African-American students in the elementary grades may have the most to gain from scholarship programs that let children switch from public schools to private ones, suggest two new studies co-written by voucher researcher Paul E. Peterson.

But the research also shows that the benefits are far greater in mathematics than in reading. In fact, black students in grades 6-8 who took part in one such program scored somewhat lower in reading than similar students who remained in the public schools.

The studies—to be presented at a school choice conference at Harvard University this week—focus on privately financed scholarship programs serving low-income students in Dayton, Ohio, and...