In 1990, Milwaukee, Wisconsin implemented a school choice program aimed at improving the education of inner-city children by enabling them to attend a selection of private schools. This book provides a broad, yet detailed, framework for examining the Milwaukee approach and its implications for the market approach to U.S. education. It explains why…

In 1993, the Minneapolis School District entered into a 3-year contract with a private company, Public Strategies Group (PSG). Under the contract, the president of PSG was to serve as the district superintendent and meet certain goals and objectives determined by the district. This paper presents findings of an evaluation of the Minneapolis/PSG…

In 1992 the Baltimore City Public School District (Maryland) entered into a 5-year contract with Education Alternatives, Incorporated (EAI), to manage 9 of its schools. Baltimore's private-management model differed significantly from that of Dade County, Florida, in that EAI was given overall management responsibility. Data were gathered through a…

A draft of a book, "School Choice: The Cultural Logic of Families, the Political Rationality of Institutions," received a great deal of media attention. The book contains research from nine different studies of school choice and includes an introduction and conclusion by Harvard professors Richard Elmore, Gary Orfield, and Bruce Fuller. The…

In 1990, the Dade County Public School System (DCPS) in Dade County, Florida, entered into a 5-year contract with a private company, Educational Alternatives Incorporated (EAI), to manage the educational services at South Pointe Elementary School. This paper presents findings of an evaluation of the DCPS-EAI collaboration at South Pointe. Data…

In Pioneer Institute's November 1995 "Dialogue," nine school-choice advocates critiqued a draft manuscript of "Who Chooses, Who Loses? Culture, Institutions, and the Unequal Effects of School Choice," edited by Harvard professors Richard Elmore, Gary Orfield, and Bruce Fuller. This publication contains the response of Professor Fuller to the…

During the early 1990s, the Hartford, Connecticut, public school system experienced serious financial problems and a downward trend in the key indicators of educational success. In 1994 the Hartford, Connecticut, board of education granted Education Alternatives, Incorporated (EAI), a 5-year contract to manage the school district. This paper…