Education in America: School Choice is the Right Policy Part II

This column introduced the topic of school choice in America for the March 2010 issue of A Line of Sight. This month, the focus will be on two school choice programs with proven success to illustrate the positive impact of school choice on educating our children.

The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) provides an alternative learning environment for low-income children. KIPP’s unique educational model and commitment to educating underserved communities has grown from one inner-city school in Houston, TX in 1994 to 82 schools in nineteen states today. Two teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, opened KIPP Academy Middle School in 1994 to address educational underachievement in Houston’s inner-city schools. The KIPP model is challenging but effective.

KIPP’s website describes the program as “a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life.”

NBC Nightly News featured KIPP in a segment in October 2009 which illustrated the success of the program. In the segment, Rehema Ellis reported that 85 percent of KIPP students who finish the eighth grade go on to finish college. The national average is 40 percent.

KIPP schools operate with autonomy as teachers and principals are free to design a curriculum model that meets the needs of their students. The program’s success is due to the rigorous demands it places on its students with extended days, weeks and school years. Students attend school up to ten hours per day during the week. KIPP extends the school week by holding classes on Saturdays and it extends the school year with a summer session. Additionally, students typically have two hours of homework each night.

KIPP’s model ensures that students have up to 67 percent more classroom time than other public schools and they build character by doing various character-building exercises. KIPP’s website states that its philosophy is “Work hard, Be nice.” But its philosophy also inspires children to attend college and gives parents hope in their children’s futures.

Another program that has been a beacon of light in underserved communities is the Washington D.C. school voucher program known as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. In January 2004, Congress passed the District of Columbia School Choice Incentive Act of 2003, which created the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The Heritage Foundation states in its June 20, 2008 WebMemo that the “initiative provides scholarships of up to $7,500 to more than 1,900 low-income students in the District.” Students can renew their scholarship for up to five years provided that they remain financially eligible.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has been very popular among low-income parents and the promising program provides true hope for low-income families.

Through the program, low-income students are eligible to use their scholarship at private schools. Given the abysmal conditions and environments of Washington D.C. public schools in underserved communities, the scholarships benefit children by simply allowing them to attend better, safer schools.

Further, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program’s per pupil costs are about half that of public schools in the District. In February 2009, Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation reported that the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship costs $7,500 per pupil whereas Washington D.C. per pupil costs are approximately $14,000.

The only major academic evaluation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program to date by the Department of Education stated that the “[r]eport reaffirms academic gains for DC Opportunity Scholarship Participants.” Although the statistical evidence is not overwhelming at this point since the program is relatively new, the data is trending in the right direction. The next academic evaluation of the program was expected in 2009 yet it has not been released. The upcoming evaluation is expected to show significant statistical data that illustrates how successful the program has been.

The vast majority of parents with one or more children in the program report satisfaction with it and they are more involved in their children’s education. Parents pull their children out of violent and failing public schools and search for a private school that is best suited to provide the education that the parent and child want.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program allows children to receive a better education in a safer school than the public alternative.

KIPP and the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program are tremendously popular among parents and children who are in the programs. Many of the charter schools under the KIPP program and private schools in Washington D.C. report that they have waiting lists for students.

KIPP and the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program are two of numerous school choice programs available today. However, the Congress poses a threat to school choice, particularly the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, as the National Education Association, which is the largest teacher union in the United States, opposes the program. The NEA is a major contributor to the Democratic Party.

The federal government must ensure the viability of Federalism and allow states to determine the breadth of educational opportunities available to parents and children. Given the current strength of the federal government’s influence on education policy, it must fund programs such as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Ultimately, control over education must return to the local level for there to be significant improvements. School choice is good for parents and children as it provides true hope.