More proof vouchers don't work

From Scathing Purple Musings

by Bob Sykes

A new report shows little change in scores on national standardized tests for students in Florida’s low-income voucher program.

They attend private schools at taxpayer expense.

The report on the Tax Credit Scholarship Program was released Wednesday. It was prepared for the state Department of Education by Northwestern University economist David Figlio.

The national percentile ranking for program participants in 2009-10 dropped 1.2 points in reading and 1.7 points in math from the prior year.

That put the typical program student at the 45th national percentile in reading and 46th in math.

Those scores are compared to all students tested nationally, not just low-income children.

Nearly 35,000 students participate in the program.

They are not required to take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, given to public school students.

Coming on the heals of a new study which concludes that Florida’s growing list of “choice options” is harming the state’s public schools, this is not good news for republican policy-makers. With data unsupportive of the supposed superiority of charter schools - and now vouchers – will Rick Scott and the state’s republicans pivot again to emphasizing that “choice” is really the only thing that matters?

http://bobsidlethoughtsandmusings.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/will-sketchy-voucher-results-bring-back-the-choice-mantra-again-in-florida/