As publicly funded private school tuition systems have expanded, independent research has documented their negative outcomes. However, the prevalence of the programs continues to grow. This brief summarizes the research evidence about vouchers and identifies three areas of policy design that are especially important for student success and a…

The U.S. Department of Education has projected enrollment declines over the next decade, leading to budget cuts for school districts, which will be particularly impactful in urban and rural areas serving vulnerable students. As federal COVID-19 funds expire, districts will face challenges in cutting costs, potentially leading to layoffs or school…

The Common Core curriculum standards represent the culmination of nearly three decades of federally driven centralization of curriculum--including content, pedagogy, and curriculum-based testing--in American K-12 education. Over the course of this period, decisions moved further away from schools and school systems upward toward higher levels of…

Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) staff created an index of educational outcomes to compare results from state to state. This report is an analysis of that study. A list of the overall rankings is included on the back page of this report. The index is based on a combination of objective qualitative measures. The data comes from national…

Proposals granting tuition tax relief to patrons of private elementary and secondary schools have resurfaced as a prominent policy alternative. This paper reviews the tuition-tax-credit deduction policy debate, synthesizes information concerning probable costs and consequences, discusses effects on fundamental social values, and highlights…

The author presents a strong case against public funding of private schools while reviewing the inequities brought about by the privatization of social services. (MD)

Britain's 1993 Education Act makes faith-based, grant-maintained schools a possibility. Existing faith-based private schools may apply to be reestablished as grant-maintained. Relevant clauses in the act were strongly influenced by the Christian Schools Campaign. Survey shows that only 10 of the 53 surveyed schools linked to the Christian Schools…

Non-public education can be viewed as one way of decentralizing the provision of education. The present study explores the ways in which non-public education is understood along with the scope of that education in countries belonging to the OECD. It focuses for the most part on the situation in Poland. The role of non-public kindergartens and…

Discusses one of two June 1997 rulings on church/state separation issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. In "Agostini v. Felton," the Court reversed an earlier decision ("Aguilar v. Felton") upholding a New York City taxpayer group's claims that a Title I program's employment of public school teachers in private/parochial schools…

Discusses viability of voucher systems including sectarian schools. Voucher plans' constitutionality may be enhanced by incorporating characteristics such as universal availability, allocation using neutral criteria, and "opting out" clauses. The Supreme Court's ruling in "Santa Fe" may squelch district policies condoning…

This article discusses the recent politics of public proposals to aid private schools through tuition tax credits or education vouchers. Analysis of voter opinion polls, voter behavior, fizzled initiatives, and attempted federal voucher experiment indicates only changes in the political landscape will bring success to such measures. (BS)

The constitutionality of publicly funded educational vouchers is a central concern, because 85% of private schools are religiously affiliated. This article identifies emerging judicial perspectives regarding vouchers' constitutionality under federal and state laws and discusses the factors predisposing a court to view a voucher program favorably.…

This article surveys the constitutionality of state aid to private sectarian higher education under the First Amendment. A typology for constitutional aid programs is devised to scrutinize selected state programs for constitutional compliance. (TE)

The author discusses recent trends in education that are making the public call for education reform. The author recommends the articulation of a new public philosophy for public education. He feels the threat of tuition tax credits may hasten this articulation. (CT)

School choice is a strategy to avoid the problems facing schools. Crime and discipline must be confronted head-on. Using public money to supplement private education dollars is useless. Living under majority rule while running a public school is not easy. "Choice" is a quick-fix that undermines the democratic value system it celebrates. (25…