(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
Not bad Hoosiers, not bad at all. I mean granted you’ll have to pick your game up to keep pace with Arizona students but look at least you aren’t hopelessly behind the pack like most of that blue blob. New NAEP data released in January- bring it on!
P.S. It might help to open some “charter schools” with your “charter school law” eh? If you let ‘er rip long enough you might get some of this:
#NAEPgainSMACK
Jay P. Greene's Blog 
Charter Point taken. Now if you could just get to a better and more robust private school choice program, you know one like Indiana’s, then Arizona would truly rock. Your close but…
If I recall correctly, the “Friedman Foundation” ranked Arizona’s tax credit program as the second highest private choice program. Are you familiar with those guys?
What year was that?
It was some time ago, but the basic features of the program that FF loved are still there- universal eligibility, low bossy McBossypants for schools.
Indiana program and many others have come out since then. The bar has been raised. No resting on laurels in this movement!
Er, yes, ok so the Indy voucher program has some big strengths (relatively broad funded eligibility) but it is not the end-all-be-all. It is after all means-tested, requires the state test on private schools and can only be used for private school tuition.
Arizona is also no slouch in the private choice arena with four scholarship tax credit programs and an ESA covering 20% of the state and with an eligibility pool that can grow depending upon the outcome of the current wrangling.
ESA is Arizona’s real bragging right. Like almost all tax-credit scholarships, the Az tax-credit program can be very well designed in all other respects but sidelined by very limited $ value to parents.