Let's Discuss: School Choice & School Vouchers.

Are vouchers and school choice part of the solution to equal access to a quality education for all? Why/Why not?

According to Chakrabarti's (2008) article in the Journal of Public Economics, there have been and will continue to be widespread concerns, discussions, and debates over school performance and the roles that school choice and voucher programs have played over the years (pg. 1371).??Many school reforms have been implemented; however, they have benefited some more than others. School voucher programs give parents a choice in where their child will attend schools based on the specific neighborhoods the parents feel would best fit their learning needs. The Voucher program has also led to children enrolling in schools with better educational resources (staff, facilities, programs, etc.) for learning.?School choice has made institutions more accountable for their successes and student achievement.?School choice offers more state and local funding flexibility to reach more in need. The voucher program and school choice debate are not over, and the research continues to demonstrate conflicting viewpoints and differing expert opinions.

Voucher Program: Zhoa's (2019) research found that the voucher program indicated a positive effort in reading and math subjects (pg. 64). Chakrabarti's (2008) work also recognized that not all voucher programs are created equal, and some based on where the program is implemented (i.e., states) may not positively affect performance. Correa et al. (2014) recognized that voucher programs stimulate competition across schools and lead to the significant generation of quality improvement in both the institutions and the quality learning (pg. 352). Abdulkadiro?lu et al.'s (2018) research of a large educational institution with lower-income students and low performance reduced these students' overall academic achievement in math, reading, science, and social studies (pg. 198). Schwartz et al. (2020) research found English Language Arts and Mathematics learners improved.?The work also identified the improvements varied among the demographic (i.e., Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Whites) in the schools and was driven by the housing rental markets, the availability of disposable incomes, and the sense of security within the communities in which the students resided (pg. 131).

School Choice: Zhao's (2019) research found across fourteen research studies; the implementation of school choice yielded positive efforts towards equal access for quality education (pg. 64). Correa et al. (2014) research recognized that school choice could positively affect the quality of education in the school system (pg. 352). Calsamiglia & Güell's (2018) article highlighted the local communities, neighborhoods, housing markets, the school administration, and parental preferences all play significant roles in school choice (pg. 21).?School choice has been instrumental in providing safety and increasing parental satisfaction and engagement. The tailored education approach is improved by selecting the institution that best meets the learner's needs.?There have been additional benefits to the school choice initiatives, such as improved options for low-income families, higher graduation rates, and tax breaks.

I fully support the voucher program and the school choice initiatives because they both are part of the solution and demonstrate that the focus of these programs is learner-centric. Both have the potential to remove barriers, bridge gaps, and open doors for those that may have never gotten a chance if not for these programs. ?I assert the debate will continue, and I'm ok with that because with certain levels of discourse comes progress, development, and understanding.?Any opportunity to provide a better educational opportunity for the minority while improving safety and academic performance, I say let's continue to pursue.

References

Abdulkadiro?lu, A., Pathak, P. A., & Walters, C. R. (2018). Free to choose: Can school choice reduce student achievement? American Economic Journal. Applied Economics, 10(1), 175-206. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1257/app.20160634

Calsamiglia, C., & Güell, M. (2018). Priorities in school choice: The case of the Boston mechanism in?Barcelona, Journal of Public Economics, Volume 163, 2018, Pages 20-36, ISSN 0047-2727, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.04.011. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272718300720)

Chakrabarti, R. (2008). Can increasing private school participation and monetary loss in a voucher program affect public school performance? Evidence from Milwaukee, Journal of Public Economics, Volume 92, Issues 5–6, 2008, Pages 1371-1393, ISSN 0047-2727, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.06.009. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272707000977)

Correa, J., Parro, F., & Reyes, L. (2014). The Effects of Vouchers on School Results: Evidence from Chile's Targeted Voucher Program. Journal of Human Capital, 8(4), 351–398. https://doi-org.ezproxy2016.trident.edu/10.1086/679282

Schwartz, A. E., Horn, K. M., Ellen, I. G., & Cordes, S. A. (2020). Do Housing Vouchers Improve Academic Performance? Evidence from New York City. Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, 39(1), 131–158. https://doi-org.ezproxy2016.trident.edu/10.1002/pam.22183

Zhao, Y. (2019). Side effects in education: Winners and losers in school voucher programs. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(5), 63–66. https://doi-org.ezproxy2016.trident.edu/10.1177/0031721719827553