New Orleans Voucher Program Boasts High Parental Satisfaction Rate

Recent survey shows more than 93 percent of parents are satisfied with program

BATON ROUGE, La., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Louisiana Federation for Children today praised newly-released results of a recent parental satisfaction survey showing overwhelmingly high satisfaction rates from parents with children participating in the New Orleans voucher program.

The survey, conducted by direct mail in December 2011 by the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), reported an overwhelming satisfaction rate – 93.4 percent – among parents with children in the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence program, which allows qualifying families to send their children to participating private schools of their choice. The percentage includes those parents who reported being "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their child's school.

The survey also found that 94.3 percent of respondents are happy with their child's academic progress in the program. Additionally, 99 percent of respondents indicated that their child feels safe and welcome in their current school.

"These results affirm the success of the New Orleans voucher program and clearly show that empowering parents with a choice in their child's education is imperative," said Lauren Perry of the Louisiana Federation for Children. "Furthermore, the findings demonstrate a need to expand the current program beyond New Orleans so that children across the state have access to quality educational options."

In addition to high parental satisfaction, the program also boasts academic gains among participating students. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, 3rd grade students in the program outperformed their peers in failing New Orleans Recovery School District schools in every subject on the Integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program test (iLEAP) during the 2010-2011 school year.

The SSEE program currently serves more than 1,800 students at 33 schools in Orleans Parish. Enacted with strong bipartisan support in 2008, enrollment in the program has grown each year.

The Louisiana Federation for Children is a project of the American Federation for Children. For more information, visit www.Louisiana4Children.org.

SOURCE Louisiana Federation for Children