Evidence suggests school choice would increase student learning in Nevada
By Jeff W. Reed – Nevada Policy Research Institute
When considering legislation, Nevada lawmakers have the difficult job of trying to foresee the pros and cons should a bill become law. School voucher proposals make that task a little easier: There are winners, and then there are more winners.
A school voucher allows tax dollars available for a child’s education to “follow” him to the public or private school of his parents’ choice. As a new report by Dr. Greg Forster of the Foundation for Educational Choice found, students who use vouchers and those who remain in public schools affected by vouchers are learning at improved rates.
Of the 10 “gold standard” random-assignment studies conducted on voucher programs, nine concluded that some or all participants benefitted academically from vouchers. Just one found no difference. As for public schools, 18 of 19 empirical studies showed vouchers impacted them positively, with one reporting no effect. Importantly, no empirical analysis has discovered negative effects from vouchers.
