Federal Support of School Choice: Background and Options

Publication Date: April 1998

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

Type:

Abstract:

Efforts to implement and expand school choice programs, which offer parents the opportunity to select their children’s schools, are widely debated. The federal government currently supports public school choice through the Magnet Schools Assistance program, the Public Charter Schools program, state systemic reform under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, and Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Legislation providing additional federal support of school choice has been considered by the 105th Congress, including proposals to provide private and public school scholarships for low-income pupils in the District of Columbia, to allow withdrawals from tax-advantaged education savings accounts for private and public elementary and secondary education expenses, to authorize use of block grant funds for private school scholarships, and to expand the Public Charter Schools program.

Congressional consideration of choice options will be influenced by many factors. There is no single model of a school choice program; rather, choice programs vary substantially in the ways they address a broad array of key features. Among these features are the specific objectives sought, educational sectors involved, eligible students, limitations on student choice, and level of financial support for choice. Many states and localities are already engaged in school choice efforts that fall into one or more of several general categories: intradistrict public choice (students may choose among some or all public schools in a district); interdistrict public choice (students may choose public schools in different districts); charter schools; and private school choice. The last includes privately run voucher programs as well as state-sponsored voucher programs for specific cities.

There are many possible federal options for supporting school choice, ranging from relatively modest modifications of current programs to establishment of expansive new legislative authorities. The options have different consequences for the federal financial commitment, scope of the choice effort, and state and local flexibility. Among the potential options for legislative action by the 105th Congress are the following: modify current programs to remove possible “barriers” to school choice; expand the current choice authority in the ESEA Title I program or authorize provision of Title I aid in the form of vouchers; establish a choice demonstration program; expand the current Magnet Schools Assistance program; expand the current Public Charter Schools authority; create an education block grant program that includes choice as an authorized use of funds; or establish new tax allowances for elementary and secondary education tuition and fees. Bills have been introduced in
several of these areas.

Finally, the widespread state and local activity in promoting school choice, and the absence of conclusive evidence concerning the impact of school choice programs
on students’ academic achievement or the distribution of students among schools, raise questions regarding whether federal action would substantially increase choice options beyond what would otherwise be available, and what the academic and social effects would be of any federally supported increase in choice opportunities.