(Guest post by Greg Forster)
OCPA’s Perspective carries my article on the research showing school choice improves academic outcomes at public schools – including an update since the publication of my latest Win-Win report, with a new study from Fordham finding Ohio’s voucher program improves reading and math scores in affected public schools:
This study improves on the two previous studies of the Ohio program (one of which I conducted), both of which also found it improved public schools. Figlio and Karbownik had access to individual student data, rather than having to use aggregate school-level scores, which is more accurate. They also use a “regression discontinuity” method, comparing schools that landed just barely above and just barely below the threshold for voucher eligibility. This is a better apples-to-apples comparison of schools.
But why be surprised? These days even NEPC and Christopher Lubienski have finally admited that school choice improves outcomes, although only participant outcomes. Lubienski mysteriously refused to look at my report’s review of effects on public schools, fiscal effects, segregation effects and civic effects. I can’t imagine why!
The win-win solution continues to rack up wins. Stay tuned.
I linked to your OCPA piece here: https://www.cato.org/blog/fact-checking-dallas-morning-news-school-choice