School & District Management

In Short

May 23, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Recent studies purport to show that voucher programs result in better achievement by black students at private schools, and that vouchers motivate public schools to improve. Those results are overstated, a new analysis argues.

Martin Carnoy, a Stanford University education and economics professor, reviewed two voucher studies for the Economic Policy Institute, a labor-backed think tank.

The first study involved recipients of privately funded vouchers in New York City, the District of Columbia, and Dayton, Ohio. Paul E. Peterson, a prominent voucher researcher and a professor of government at Harvard University, found last year that black students using the vouchers outperformed a control group made up of students who had applied for vouchers but remained in public schools.

For More Information

The report, “Do School Vouchers Improve Student Performance?,” is available from the Economic Policy Institute. (Requires Adobe’s Acrobat Reader.)

Mr. Carnoy argues in the new analysis that Mr. Peterson and his colleagues failed to account for a “disappointment effect” on the nonvoucher students. The difference in achievement results may have more to do with “lower gains by discouraged voucher rejectees rather than greater gains by recipients,” he writes.

The second study Mr. Carnoy examined was released earlier this year by Jay P. Greene, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Mr. Greene found that low-performing Florida schools facing the prospect that their students would receive vouchers to attend other schools made significant gains on state achievement tests.

Mr. Carnoy said the study failed to account for other possible causes of the improvement by the failing public schools.

“The ‘scarlet letter’ effect from identifying low-performing schools is as plausible an explanation for the test score gains as is the voucher threat,” he writes.

Mr. Peterson defended his research last week.

“It’s always nice to have people think of potential ways one could improve one’s research,” he said. “I still think we have the very best possible research design.”

—Mark Walsh

Coverage of research is underwritten in part by a grant from the Spencer Foundation.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the May 23, 2001 edition of Education Week as In Short

Events

Student Achievement Webinar What Effective Tutoring Should Look Like—and Achieve
Join this webinar to learn how to sustain effective tutoring programs that help improve students' performance in reading and math.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Mathematics Webinar
Engaging Every Learner: Strategies to Boost Math Motivation
Math Motivation Boost! Research & real tips to engage learners.
Content provided by Prodigy Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
The Ripple Effect: Mental Health & Student Outcomes
Learn how student mental health impacts outcomes—and how to use that data to support your school’s IEP funding strategy.
Content provided by Huddle Up

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Food and Massage Coupons: How Principals Signal Their Appreciation for Teachers
Small gestures can go a long way this Teacher Appreciation Week.
5 min read
Image of a notebook page with "THANK YOU TEACHER" written with some doodles and smiley faces.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How to Be a Focused Leader When There’s a Lot of Noise
Burnout, attrition, absenteeism, and disengagement are key issues for schools. Here's a path forward for educators.
3 min read
Screen Shot 2025 04 29 at 6.54.09 AM
Canva
School & District Management 'Go-Betweens' Are Invaluable to Principals. A Guide to Cultivating Them
A school leader's guide to creating and supporting a second-line leader.
2 min read
Wooden pawns on interconnected circles. Concept of interrelationships. 3d illustration.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Understand K-12 Leaders’ Social Media Habits?
Test your knowledge of how school and district leaders use social media—what platforms they prefer, how often they post, and getting their attention.