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…

An examination of the variation among educational programs in the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District, San Jose (California), during the fourth year of its educational voucher demonstration project addresses the issue of whether alternative systems can generate significant diversity in public school education. The research questions (How do…

A random sample of over 13,000 students participating in 4 of Minnesota's school choice programs during the 1989-90 school year were surveyed in 4 areas: (1) background and family participation; (2) reasons for participating and decision making; (3) sources for program information; and (4) satisfaction/expectations. The survey was performed to…

American schools, despite recent education reform measures, still fail to provide many of our nation's children with the education that they need and deserve. In conjunction with the other changes, programs of choice can play a central and critical role in improving America's schools. This booklet, divided into two sections, reports on the…

Families choose schools; and they choose programs within schools. Yet the processes, contingencies, and outcomes of families' choices of schooling have not been systematically examined. In this paper, the social science literature on families' choices of schooling is reviewed. Treating this choice as a special case of consumer choice, the paper…

Public school-choice programs are diverse and offer within- and outside-district flexibility in meeting student needs. This bulletin examined data available from the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), to answer questions about regional differences in choice programs,…

Descriptive information on open enrollment/choice programs in a variety of states is provided in this report. Following an introduction, key program components are discussed, which include transportation, information, and funding issues; state guidelines for student acceptance; and athletic recruiting. Private school issues are examined in the…

This book consists of nine papers that were originally delivered at the First Annual International Conference on Magnet Schools, which was held in Dallas in March 1977. In addition to discussing the rationale for magnet schools and the history of their development, the various papers examine how to initiate and plan a magnet schools program, how…

This document comprises a report on the architectural elements of choice in the desegregation process, a review of the choice process based on Minnesota's experience, and a statement of implications for state policymakers. The following organizational principles of the choice process are discussed: (1) enrollment based on a "first come, first…

Originating in the Rand Corporation's evaluation of the voucher demonstration project in the Alum Rock Union School District (California), this study of family choice in schooling focuses on these questions: Are parents motivated and competent to make intelligent choices among competing educational alternatives? What kinds of schools do parents…

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…

This study analyzes the establishment of public alternative schools and programs from the perspective of school district management. An alternative school or program is defined as one that is full-time, is available to students on a voluntary basis, and is in some way distinctive from the district's standard program. Chapter 1 is introductory.…

In 1996, many states took action to give parents greater control over the education of their children. Many local school boards adopted initiatives to give parents educational choice and the ability to use vouchers to help pay tuition costs at schools of their choice. Over 200 new charter schools opened in 17 states, and an additional 6 states and…

This report presents an analysis of the school choice movement throughout the United States, and a state-by-state analysis that provides snapshots of each state's progress toward school choice and charter schools. The Children's Scholarship Fund found that 1.25 million low-income parents would take advantage of scholarships that would allow their…

School choice plans have been widely adopted, and most urban areas have a limited choice plan of some sort. This digest presents an overview of different choice strategies by reviewing the experiences of several urban areas. Minnesota has statewide open enrollment for all students, making all public schools throughout the state open to all…