Open enrollment is a concept concerned with a student's access to schools. In general, it reflects the possibility of parents exercising choice when enrolling children in schools. In East Hartford, parents may seek permission to transfer a youngster to a different school if that school has space for him; however, the parent must provide the…

Author feels that pressure groups should lobby for general improvements rather than help articulate middle-class parents to get their children into the "best" school around. (Author)

Expanding choice among public schools will improve student achievement and provide creative and decision-making professional opportunities for teachers. Three successful choice plans are discussed. Steps for developing choice plans are listed. (PS)

A comprehensive review of educational choice literature and selected programs compose part 1 of this report. "Educational choice" is a catchall term encompassing a variety of strategies to grant parents the freedom to select schools, educational programs, or sets of courses based on the specific interests and needs of their children.…

Statements, prepared statements, letters, and supplementary materials presented at a field hearing on a parental choice program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin are compiled in this report. Under the "Choice" Program, the state pays $2,440 for each of a limited number of K-12 pupils residing in the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend…

THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES THE POLICY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE FOR ENFORCING SCHOOL DESEGREGATION GUIDELINES. THE NEW GOAL SET BY THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION'S COMPLIANCE SECTION, THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS, IS TO END THE DUAL SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE SOUTH BY 1969. MANY CIVIL RIGHTS WORKERS CONTEND THAT THE NEW DEADLINE IS…

This document presents findings of a study that identified patterns of use among a broad array of open-enrollment options available to elementary and secondary students in Minnesota. During the period 1985-91, the Minnesota legislature passed several pieces of new legislation designed to: (1) increase the educational choices available to students,…

This article describes a study of enrollment patterns under the Massachusetts open enrollment law as of fall 1992. Results from 33, districts with 20 or more school-choice transfers, show that families generally enroll children in schools with higher indicators of performance and higher socioeconomic status. (SLD)

This book presents concerns and raises questions about the choice programs being proposed and implemented around the United States. It argues that poorly conceived, hastily enacted choice programs may do more harm than good. The demand for educational choice may result in lost opportunities for students (some groups more than others), weakened…

PRESENTED ARE TWO SEPARATE ARTICLES, ONE CRITICIZING AND THE OTHER DEFENDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE SCHOOL DESEGREGATION PLAN IN THE SOUTH. ACCORDING TO THIS PLAN, PUPILS (OR THEIR PARENTS) MAY CHOOSE THE SCHOOLS THEY WISH TO ATTEND WITHIN A GIVEN DISTRICT. IN THE ARTICLE AGAINST THE PLAN, IT IS ARGUED THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND…

The central issue in educational reform should be how to confront educational inequalities, but the conservative movement has tried to transform the issue from one of inequality to one of "choice." The choice being promoted by conservative forces comes at the expense of community in that it seeks to set up schools that respond to the…

Magnet schools are public schools that offer specialized subject themes or educational methodologies as a way of achieving desegregated student bodies. This document reports on a study of school districts in three communities--St. Louis (Missouri), Cincinnati (Ohio), and Nashville (Tennessee)--that have made wide use of magnets in meeting their…

School choice policies allow parents to exercise an active role in selecting the school or educational program their children attend. This report reviews development of school choice policies at the national and state levels. Rationales for school choice programs and key components of these programs are noted. Eight types of school choice programs…

Major arguments, both pro and con, for applying the "schools of choice" approach to educational improvement in Detroit (Michigan) are described, and the results of a recent public opinion survey are reported. The main argument of proponents of school choice is that it will improve the quality of public education. Opponents of choice do…

This monograph explores issues related to school choice by examining available evidence for the success of choice plans. It begins with an overview of the choice movement and then describes several specific plans that illustrate the various plan types. It concludes with an appraisal of how choice will change and shape urban school reform in the…