http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/41868652.html The first research since the mid-1990s comparing the academic progress of students in Milwaukee's precedent-setting private school voucher program with students in Milwaukee Public Schools shows no major differences in success between the two groups. The long-awaited report, along with a half dozen other research reports related to the voucher program and conducted by researchers mostly from the University of Arkansas, will be released Thursday at a breakfast hosted by the Public Policy Forum. The findings come as the 20,000-student voucher program approaches a crossroads, with strong interest from Gov. Jim Doyle and Democrats who control the state Legislature in seeking to require voucher schools to follow many of the requirements of public schools. There are about 120 voucher schools, more than 80% of them religious. Summarizing a comparison of how matched groups of voucher and MPS students did across two years of tests, the researchers wrote: "The primary finding in all of these comparisons is that there is no overall statistically significant difference between MPCP (voucher) and MPS student achievement growth in either math or reading one year after they were carefully matched to each other."
This is current events, Doyle hasn't been governor since 1/3/2011. Hard to imagine people here have forgotten that whole Walker recall thing. This thread should be moved to a more appropriate sub-forum...
One year study is hardly a way to judge the achievement between the schools. How do they stack up after two or three years? How different, if any is the graduation rate? How many from either go on to a higher education? How much do their grades compare from year to year?
So says the UNION FUNDED "study"..FROM FIVE YEARS AGO??? Seriously? How about the ACTUAL FACTS? From LAST YEAR: New Study Shows Higher Graduation, Achievement Rates for Milwaukee Voucher Students Results of rigorous evaluation also show program has improved public school performance MILWAUKEE, WI (February 27, 2012)Students enrolled in the Milwaukee voucher program are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college than their public school counterparts, boast significantly improved reading scores, represent a more diverse cross-section of the city, and are improving the results of traditional public school students, according to a comprehensive evaluation of the program released today. http://www.federationforchildren.org/articles/660 http://www.federationforchildren.org/articles/660
From your own study... Conclusion In 2006 the state of Wisconsin gave us a job: to conduct a rigorous comprehensive evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) and inform policy makers and the public about our findings. In the five years since, we have produced 36 reports about many aspects of school choice in Milwaukee. After the completion of our final data collection, in 2011, the state altered the MPCP in significant ways, most notably by expanding eligibility to families with incomes up to 300 percent of the poverty level ($67,050 for a family of four), launching a sister program in Racine, and permitting private schools outside of the city of Milwaukee to take in Milwaukee or Racine voucher students. The voucher program that we carefully studied from 2006 through 2011 no longer exists, at least not as a parental school choice program targeted only to low-income families in Milwaukee and the private schools there that serve them. Our final set of reports on the MPCP represent the last word on the first private school choice program targeted to low-income inner-city students in the U.S.—a pioneering program that operated for 22 years and paved the way for 25 voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs that have come in its wake. Our findings include several “no significant difference” results but also some evidence that participation in MPCP or enrollment in an independent public charter school has produced better student outcomes than those experienced by similar students in MPS. The 8th and 9th grade cohorts of students in our longitudinal study graduated from high school, enrolled in college, and persisted in college at higher rates if they participated in the MPCP. Choice students appeared to have received a boost from the test-based accountability policy implemented in 2010-11 that propelled them to significantly higher levels of reading achievement than matched MPS students, though the two groups ended our study with similar achievement in math. Independent public charter schools that previously operated as private schools delivered clear achievement gains to students in reading, though the gains in math and the average gains for all charter schools in both math and reading were statistically similar to those for matched MPS students. The studies conducted so far indicate marginal gains in some areas, no gain in others and that choice students actually scored lower then non choice students in other areas. The school voucher system is nothing more then a scheme to funnel tax dollars into religious institutions. Any advantages measured are cancelled out by disadvantages in others. The study concluded choice students were more likely to attend college by SEVEN PERCENT. Hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions nationwide, to go from 40% to 47%. The fact is these students, by virtue of the interest shown by the parents in their childrens education, are NATURALLY going to do better...they probably would have show this improved college figure over others if they stayed in public schools. The fact that it only improved college entrance by a mere 7% (I would have expected 20-30) with marginal gains in SOME disciplines like reading while showing a DROP in math and sciences, is proof the voucher system is a scam and shows the system DOES NOT deliver the results promised by it's adherents. Seriously, is anyone surprised to see a slight gain in reading while there is a drop in MATH AND SCIENCE by attending a religious school? It's comforting to know students will be better at reading the bible but won't produce any more or better mathematicians or scientists.
"No significant difference" here means, "voucher school students perform slightly better, but not substantially," right? They do perform better, but there are a lot of factors to consider. From what I remember from other studies, voucher schools do cost substantially less, and so the state is saving a ton of money (respectively) and getting a slightly better result. No business would ever see an only slightly better result at a vastly reduced cost as insignificant. I can only imagine the state and statists ever using this to suggest that voucher schools aren't a good alternative. Additionally, we should consider other private schools in the mix. Again, from what I remember, private schools (not including boarding schools) are far more expensive than voucher schools, but about on par with public schools, but achieve better results. I'm a bit biased, because my high school was a private school that I only got to go to because it has a contract with towns in the area (my hometown hasn't had it's own high school for two centuries). My high school really is one of the best in the state, and that's only when you include small schools (which, given a smaller student population, can more easily achieve higher average results), there is no school in the state of comparable or greater size that outperforms it. It, further, has consistently had the best or second best choir program, has a legitimately diverse student population (it has an international boarding house with over 100 international students from some roughly 30 different countries), and has some of the best sports teams (30+ state football championships, recent basketball championships, and is still dominant in golf and continues to win or come close to winning at states every year). The major kicker? There is no high school in the area with lower costs! It gets a set amount/student from the town, which is less than what any other local high school gets in funding. Now, obviously, programs like my alma mater are the sh*t and do a great job at a low cost, but not all private high schools are like that. Is that any reason not to offer vouchers for students to go to schools like mine? If the average private high school isn't fantastic, what reason is that to not offer students a chance to get a better education and save the state money? I can't see any reason for that, and that's the question I've never gotten answered by opponents of voucher programs.
