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ERIC Number: ED565616
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Apr
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Applying to the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: How Do Parents Rate Their Children's Current Schools at Time of Application and What Do They Want in New Schools? NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2016-4003
Dynarski, Mark; Betts, Julian; Feldman, Jill
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), established in 2004, is the only federally-funded private school voucher program for low-income parents in the United States. This evaluation brief describes findings using data from more than 2,000 applicants' parents, who applied to the program from spring 2011 to spring 2013 following reauthorization under the Scholarships for Opportunity and Result (SOAR) Act of 2011. The application form asked parents to rate elements of their child's current school with which they were satisfied or dissatisfied and to indicate which elements were top priorities for them when looking for a new school. The ratings provide insights about school-related reasons parents may have had for applying for a voucher and what they were looking for in a new school. Key findings include: (1) The majority of parents (57 percent) gave their child's current school at time of application a grade of "A" or "B." Fourteen percent of parents gave their child's school a "D" or "F"; (2) Most parents chose academic quality as their top priority for a new school. School safety was the second most common choice of top priority. School facilities, racial mix, and parent involvement were least likely to be chosen as top priorities; (3) Parents mostly were satisfied with their child's current school at time of application on elements they viewed as top priorities for a new school; 66 percent of parents were satisfied with their child's current school on the element they indicated was their top priority for choosing a new school. Appended are: (1) Parent Grades For Current Schools at Time of Application; (2) Parent Dissatisfaction With Current Schools at Time of Application; (3) Data on Parents' Top Priorities in Choosing a New School; and (4) Parent Dissatisfaction With Current Schools at Time of Application and Top Priority in Choosing a New School.
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Available from: ED Pubs. P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Tel: 877-433-7827; Web site: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (ED)
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: ED12CO0018
Author Affiliations: N/A