The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice has just released its 2013 edition of The ABCs of School Choice, a comprehensive guide to every kind of private school choice program available in the United States. Currently, 21 states and Washington, DC offer some form of private school choice.
The guide classifies four school options: private schools, charter schools, homeschooling, and online learning. Four types of programs are identified: vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, education savings accounts, and individual tax credits/deductions.
Voucher programs are the most often seen in the news, fueling political debate. Vouchers give a parent all or part of the public funding that would be used to education each child in a public school. The parent can then use the voucher toward part or all of the private school tuition. Currently there are 18 voucher programs offered in 12 states and Washington, DC.
Tax-credit scholarships give taxpayers (individuals or businesses) full or partial tax credits for donating to nonprofits that provide private school scholarships. Eleven states offer these programs.
There are individual tax-credit/deduction programs in 6 states. This generally means parents can receive state income tax relief for approved educational expenses, such as private school tuition, books, supplies, computers, tutors, and transportation.
Educational saving accounts are popular ways to save money for college; however, in Arizona, parents who choose to withdraw their children from a public district or charter school can get a deposit of public funds into a government-authorized account. The money can be used for tuition and other education expenses at private schools, communication colleges, tutoring, online learning, and more.
The guide includes a timeline of private school choice in America, as well as a profile of every program parents can access. Each profile covers the funding and eligibility requirements as well as Friedman Feedback. You will also find brief profiles of children and families using choice programs.
You can download the guide in the ISM Research area.
The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice was founded in 1996 as a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing Milton and Rose Friedman’s vision of school choice for all children. The Foundation’s research is available for download here.
Additional ISM resources of interest
Assessing the Effectiveness of School Voucher Programs, Hanover Research, February 2013
Cato Working Paper, October 2010. Do Vouchers and Tax Credits Increase Private School Regulation?
Additional resources for ISM Consortium Gold Members
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 34 No. 16 Baker’s Study of Vouchers: Implications for Private-Independent Schools
