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Dear Friends,

A new report from Georgetown is out on the D.C. program, and it shows that parents are very pleased with their experience in the program. See below for two releases from Georgetown and Washington Scholarship Fund on the report. If you would like a copy of the report, a link is provided below.

Best wishes,
Liz Moser
Director of State Outreach & Training
Alliance for School Choice
www.allianceforschoolchoice.org

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For immediate release
May 16, 2007

Contact: Andy Pino
202-687-4328
pinoa@georgetown.edu

Parents Report Improvements and Concerns in Georgetown Study on DC Voucher Program

Washington, D.C. - The School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP) at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute released today its second qualitative report on the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), a federally funded initiative for low-income families living in the District of Columbia. The report, titled "The Evolution of School Choice Consumers: Parent and Student Voices on the Second Year of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program," provides responses from participating families indicating improvements in the program's operations and progress in the number of parents acting as confident and well informed school choice consumers.

"This qualitative study provides unprecedented insight into the early stage experiences of families participating in the first federally funded voucher program," said Georgetown University assistant research professor Stephen Q. Cornman, co-author of the study. "The participating students and parents expressed greater enthusiasm for the Program in its second year, citing improvements in information sources, financial policies and procedures, and communication between parents and their children, independent schools and the program administrator. The majority of parents emphatically stated that their parental involvement dramatically increased when their children entere d the OSP program."

The SCDP team of researchers obtained their data through a series of personal interviews and focus group discussions with parents and older students from approximately 100 families participating in the OSP during the 2005-2006 academic year.

"By far, the greatest concern of participating families was that increased earnings might make them ineligible for their Opportunity Scholarships," said co-author Patrick J. Wolf of the University of Arkansas noting that Congress has amended the law to limit the number of families in danger of earning out of the Program.

Participants shared their thoughts on a variety of issues, including the opportunities and challenges they experienced in their new schools. "We observed an increased level of confidence in parents and students as they articulated their thoughts about their second year experiences with the OSP," said Thomas Stewart, senior research associate at the SCDP and co-author of the study. "The families noted measurable improvements in their children's attitudes and behaviors towards learning, and they were very enthusiastic about keeping their children in the Program for at least one more year."

The report's key findings include:

* Families report being active, well informed school choice consumers. Parents actively utilize their school choice consumer skills to find the perfect match for their children when choosing schools

* Parents reported greater involvement in their child's education since entering the OSP, specifically in the areas of homework and parent teacher conferences. The vast majority of parents however, say they do not formally participate in organized parent groups.

* Parents noted increased communication with their children since entering the OSP, including soliciting input and support from their children during the school selection process.

* Many parents expressed the view that OSP has resolved the concerns noted during the initial year of implementation, such as ambiguity about financial policies and student confidentiality.

* Parents share a growing concern that they will lose eligibility for the program for various reasons including an increase in earnings and the scarcity of slots at the high school level.

* A sizable majority of parents are satisfied with their school choice experiences, and approximately ninety percent of participants in the study indicated that they were certain to remain in the Program for at least another year.

SCDP's research was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation through a grant to Georgetown University. The report is available on the SCDP's Web site at: http://www.georgetown.edu/research/scdp/ . A summary version of the report is also available in both English and Spanish.

About the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program

The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), launched during the fall of 2004, is the country's first federally sponsored K-12 scholarship initiative, offering low-income students the opportunity to attend one of the 58 participating DC private schools of their choosing at public expense. Eligible applicants are selected through a lottery system to receive annual scholarships valued at $7,500 per year. The OSP is managed by the Was hington Scholarship Fund, a non-profit organization in DC, under contract with the U.S. Department of Education.

About the School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP)

The School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP), based within the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI), is an education reform research effort devoted to the non-partisan study of the effects of school choice and other education policy. The center is staffed by leading education reform researchers and scholars. SCDP's national team of researchers, institutional research partners and staff are devoted to the rigorous evaluation of school choice and other education reform efforts across the country. SCDP is currently collaborating with other research agencies on the official quantitative examination of DC Opportunity Scholarship Program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Services, to be released in 2007. ; For more information on SCDP, visit: http://www.georgetown.edu/research/scdp/

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses in Washington, DC. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu .