Giving Compass' Take:

· The Heritage Foundation explains that by allowing students to have an input on the school they attend, they are more likely to grow and succeed while also becoming better prepared for their future. The authors examine the process of school choice and conclude that enabling students to choose the school they see fit also allows them to accept the liberties of a free society.

· Is school choice equal for every student and family? How does school choice influence the academic success and mindset of different students? 

· Read more on the rise of education choice in the US and the increase in public support.


Academic underperformance is one reason school choice has seen such incredible growth across the country over the past two decades. In 2000, just four school choice programs were in operation in the U.S. Today, more than 60 school choice programs are at work in more than half of the states.

Access to education choice is improving academic outcomes for students across the country in a way that large-scale federal programs have failed to do. Seventeen rigorous studies have examined the impact of school choice on academic achievement, and 11 of those evaluations found significant increases in academic outcomes for participants. Three randomized controlled trial evaluations have looked specifically at the impact of school choice on graduation rates and academic attainment. In each of those rigorous evaluations, researchers found that matriculation and attainment outcomes increased significantly for some or all school choice participants.

Education choice, however, is and should be about far more than just improved academic outcomes; indeed, researchers have begun to examine the policy’s other effects. Research has demonstrated that school choice meaningfully improves students’ lives beyond K–12: It increases their chances of attending and persisting through college, decreases their chances of being involved in criminal activity, improves their earnings potential, and leads to parents who are more satisfied with their children’s educational experiences.

Read the full article about education choice by W. Bradford Wilcox, Derrick Max and Lindsey Burke at The Heritage Foundation.