Study: Student Enrollment in School Choice Options More Than Doubles

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The proportion of students enrolled in public school choice programs in urban school districts grew by almost 60 percent from 1996 to 2003, an analysis published in the December issue of the Journal of School Choice found.

Abt Associates researcher Tamara Linkow examined 119 U.S. school districts' public school choice programs, which include charter schools, magnet schools, interdistrict and intradistrict choice plans, and vouchers. Linkow found that among public choice options, magnet schools enrolled the largest percentage of students, with the proportion of enrollments growing from about 9 percent in 1996 to 12.5 percent in 2003. Private schools had slight decreases in both enrollment and share of schools (less than 1 percent), although data from 2002-2003 showed the private schools were beginning to recapture their lost shares of school and student populations. 

The study also found that having a large share of students who use one type of choice (charter, publicly funded vouchers, magnet schools, etc.) does not lead to high proportions of students using other types of school choices within a district. "This suggests that the school choice movement is not a unified one," according to Linkow. "School choice options seem to be a disconnected set of reform strategies."

The study also examined the availability and use of school choice programs by student demographics and geographic region. Within large, urban districts, those with greater percentages of economically disadvantaged students had more students enrolled in choice schools than those with fewer disadvantaged students.

School districts in the West and Midwest had more publicly funded choice students than those in the Northeast, and fewer private choice students. School districts in the Northeast had more comprehensive intradistrict choice programs than districts in the South and Midwest. School districts in the West had more magnet schools students than those the Northeast, but fewer private school and less comprehensive intradistrict choice options.

"Given the continued expansion of publicly funded school choice in the United States, parent demand for choice may trump coordinated district efforts as the impetus for growth," she concludes.

About Abt Associates

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates was ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms in 2011 and also named one of the top 40 international development innovators.  The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in nearly 40 countries. www.abtassociates.com

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Caroline Broder
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SOURCE Abt Associates