The status of school choice, nationally

The Brookings Institution has released its annual Education Choice and Competition Index (ECCI), a guide to conditions of K-12 school choice in the nation's largest districts. The ECCI examines district-level choice using objective scoring of thirteen categories of policy and practice. Based on these, the Recovery School District in New Orleans and New York City Public Schools occupy the highest rankings, the same as in 2012, which illustrates a larger trend: little year-to-year change in district commitment to or design of school choice. Despite high rankings, both districts, along with all other top-scoring districts, need improvements. And, as demonstrated by the 34 districts receiving an "F," zip-code assignment and other policies antithetical to choice are still standard operating procedure nationally. The authors write that districts, states, and the nation must invest in approaches that lift all boats. These include identifying effective instructional materials; developing and implementing professional development programs that work; and deploying accountability systems that motivate and inform. Ideally, systems should encourage schools to compete to be the very best while assuring a minimal standard of service so all students can advance. This requires attention to the parameters of choice and competition, as well as to the knowledge base for learning and instruction that is the foundation of improving schools under any governance arrangement. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.