Published: 2001
Total Pages: 0
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Education vouchers and charter schools are two of the most prominent and far-reaching forms of family choice policies currently in evidence in the nation's elementary and secondary schools. As such, they present important challenges to the traditional provision of public education in schools that are created, governed, funded, and operated by state and local authorities. This book reviews the theoretical foundations for vouchers and charter schools and the empirical evidence of their effectiveness as set forth in hundreds of recent reports and studies. The literature analyzed includes studies that directly examine voucher and charter schools, in the United States and abroad, and, where relevant, comparisons between existing public and private schools. This book also examines the ways in which multiple dimensions of policy design such as targeting, funding levels and limitations, admissions policies, academic standards and assessments, and accountability-will determine the nature and extent of any specific program's impact. The findings will be of interest to policymakers, researchers, and educators at every level of the education system who must assess numerous proposals for vouchers, charter schools, and other forms of family choice in education.