State policy leaders are concerned that the current supply of schools is not successfully educating all students to meet achievement goals set by the state. States have identified approximately 20,000 schools that did not meet expectations for adequate yearly progress and more than 11,000 schools that failed to meet adequate yearly progress targets for two consecutive years. Increasingly, policy leaders are concluding that providing quality education options can raise student achievement and improve existing schools. Governors are looking to maximize public investment in education. They want to ensure that students attend schools that meet their learning needs and that more students graduate from high school ready for success in postsecondary education and the workplace. Given the slow pace of achievement and graduation rate improvements, many policymakers have decided that providing assistance to existing schools and assessing the results of their work with students are not enough. These policymakers have begun giving families and students greater choice in education options. They believe different education options can help meet the goals of improved student achievement and higher graduation rates, meet No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requirements to offer choice options, encourage innovation and improvement across the education system, satisfy parental demands for options, and reduce segregation by race and income. The following are appended: (1) Selected Research on Choice Options; and (2) Advisory Committee Members. (Contains 88 notes.)