Report Roundup

Competition Called Incentive in Michigan

Competition from charter schools and Michigan's "schools of choice" program, which allows students to attend other public schools in their own and neighboring districts, has provided schools with a powerful incentive to improve while expanding the ability of parents to choose where their children are taught, an analysis by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy concludes.

The report by the Midland, Mich., think tank relies on information from the Wayne County Regional Education Service Agency, the intermediate school district for that Michigan county, which includes 34 urban and suburban districts. It also includes state data and anecdotes from district superintendents and...