A study released Monday and called crucial by members of the Alliance for School Choice indicates the voucher program for students in Washington, D.C., is having a positive impact on academic performance.
Specifically, the report demonstrated statistically significant student improvement in reading. To achieve the same results, students who do not receive vouchers would have to spend 3.7 additional months in their public schools, the report found.
This report comes at a critical time for parents in the nation’s capital, as Congress deliberates on whether to continue funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which serves 1,700 children from very low-income families.
The continuation of the program was placed in jeopardy, because of language inserted into the Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus budget bill by Congressional opponents.
Alliance for School Choice officials hailed the results of this study as further proof that the program should be expanded, not ended.
„Reading is a gateway subject that opens the doors to achievement and success in many other areas. This report demonstrates that the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is fulfilling its purpose and providing a quality education for the low-income D.C. kids fortunate enough to participate,“ said Alliance Interim President John Schilling. „The Alliance and Advocates for School Choice remain steadfast in our belief that the OSP must be protected, sustained, and strengthened. Four consecutive studies have shown overwhelming parental satisfaction and we now have two consecutive years of data demonstrating student academic growth.“
The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program was enacted in 2004 and provides scholarships so that low-income children can attend the schools of their parents‘ choice. This school year, the program is benefiting more than 1,700 children. The program has served 3,039 children since its inception; more than 7,800 have applied to participate over the life of the program.
„This program is one essential piece of the larger education reform effort underway in the District,“ Schilling said. „With proven academic benefit, high parental satisfaction, and strong demand, the OSP meets every possible standard for continuation.“
He hopes thousands of parents and students will make their voices heard in City Hall, Congress and the White House, he said.