School & District Management Report Roundup

School Choice Program Yields Gains in the End

By The Associated Press — March 06, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A sample of students at some of Milwaukee’s private schools made gains in reading in 2010-11 that were significantly higher than those of a matched sample of peers in Milwaukee public schools, but math achievement remained the same as in the preceding school year, according to results from a multiyear study tracking students in both sectors.

The new results are the final installment of an examination of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Voucher students’ achievement growth on the state’s annual standardized test was about the same in math over the four years studied, and about the same in reading for three of those four years, the researchers found.

The longitudinal study was conducted by the School Choice Demonstration Project, a research center at the University of Arkansas that was selected by the state of Wisconsin to conduct a long-term study of the voucher program and its effect on Milwaukee.

Rather than looking at scores of all students, the researchers matched a sample of 2,727 voucher students in 3rd through 9th grades in 2006 with an equal number of similar students in district schools. The study used a complex statistical methodology based on students’ test-score growth.

The authors said their findings also suggest exposure to voucher schools marginally increases the likelihood that students graduate from high school, especially on time, and enroll in college.

The latest study also examines special education and estimates that between 7.5 percent and 14.6 percent of the voucher students have disabilities. That’s lower than the 19 percent of special education students in Milwaukee public schools but higher than previous estimates of the disability rate among students enrolled in the voucher schools.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the March 08, 2012 edition of Education Week as School Choice Program Yields Gains in the End

Events

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
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
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
Reading & Literacy Webinar
What Kids Are Reading in 2025: Closing Skill Gaps this Year
Join us to explore insights from new research on K–12 student reading—including the major impact of just 15 minutes of daily reading time.
Content provided by Renaissance
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
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.

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 Quiz Quiz Yourself: When Are District and School Leaders Most Likely to Read Emails?
Wondering when district and school leaders are most likely to check their emails? Take our quick quiz and discover the ideal times to send your messages for better engagement.
MB Data Emails 031622 GettyImages 1170828052
DenEmmanuel/iStock/Getty
School & District Management What These New Principals Did to Get the Hang of Being in Charge
Three new principals share their tips to tackle the tricky first year on the job.
7 min read
Image of leaders traveling to a door made out of an upward arrow.
Yutthana Gaetgeaw/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Download How Schools Can Prepare for Sexually Explicit Deepfakes (DOWNLOADABLE)
Three steps administrators should take before a student creates a harmful image with AI.
1 min read
Hand showing phone with face hologram and glowing circle. Social media impersonation. Concept of face swapping, deep fake and personal information protection.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management Opinion The Trump Administration Is Bullying Educators. We Can Fight Back
As just about every K-12 teacher or administrator knows, going along with a bully only encourages them.
3 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week