Other Resources

Cleveland Vouchers Produce No Gains

Professor Kim Metcalf at Indiana University, who has been evaluating the Cleveland voucher program since 1998, has released the third and final report in a longitudinal study that concludes the voucher scheme is not producing achievement gains by private or public school students.

Among the findings:

• There are no statistically significant differences in the academic achievement of students who used vouchers to attend private school and students who remained in the Cleveland public schools.
• Many low-income families eligible to participate in the voucher program declined to do so because the cost to attend private school, even with a voucher, was too high. In addition, the limited number and range of participating private schools further discouraged families from using vouchers.
• When low-income families declined to participate, their unused vouchers were likely to be used by students who are not minority, who are more affluent, and who are already enrolled in a private school.

You can read the December 2003 report's executive summary here.

District Court Knocks Down Colorado Voucher Law

NEA and the Colorado Education Association scored a victory in blocking Gov. Bill Owens' attempt to impose vouchers on the state's public schools. The Denver District Court decision protects local control of public schools.

Report Cites Dangers of Colorado Voucher Law

The People for the American Way Foundation has issued a report about Colorado's school voucher law that cites the "high potential for abuse inherent in voucher programs, and examines parallels with the problems other cities and states have experienced with voucher laws, including Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Florida."

The report, "Replicating Failure, Colorado Vouchers Mimic Other States' Mistakes," was announced shortly after NEA and the Colorado Education Association successfully challenged the voucher law in court. The Denver District Court has struck down the law, but its proponents have said the decision will be appealed.

According to a PFAW Foundation news release, the report "explores the problems exposed by the history ofother voucher programs."

Florida Voucher Program Drains Funds for Public Schools

Florida state officials are failing to hold private schools accountable even though the state's voucher program is almost entirely or wholly funding those schools, according to an editorial, A Voucher Marketplace, in the April 14, 2002 St. Petersburg Times. "This hands-off approach with voucher schools stands in sharp contrast to the new demands these same officials have placed on public schools," according to the editorial. "But more troubling is the extent to which the state is draining the scarce pool of education dollars in the process. Next year, roughly $60 million may be poured into this private market."

NSBA Presents Arguments Against Vouchers

The National School Boards Association provides information including the legal and educational arguments against vouchers, as well as state-by-state data on the status of voucher legislation.

Vouchers Undermine Public School Support

The Anti-Defamation League provides information on voucher polls and discusses their political history. In addition, they explain how vouchers undermine support for public education.