School Choice

1

Research has consistently demonstrated that school choice policies improved academic and behavioral performace in public school.

2

Public schools have shown to be more attentive to the academic needs of students when students have opportunities to leave their schools.

SCHOOL CHIOCE IMPROVES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

3

As the number of scholarships increased the number of days that students were absent from public schools also declined.

4

Positive impacts were greater for lower income students, but also affected more affluent students in public schools.

Currently no empirical study has found that school choice harms students in public schools.

5

(Source: https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/School-Choice-and-Public-Schools.pdf)

SCHOOL CHOICE IN THE USA

Pennsylvania has two tax credit programs available to families.

• Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (2001)

• Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (2012)

- Almost three out of four Pennsylvania students are eligible for a scholarship.

- Only less than five percent of students statewide actually use a scholarship from one of Pennsylvania’s two tax-credit scholarship programs.

More states than ever offer families programs that help them access options like private school or a customized education that fits their needs.

(Source: https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice-in-america-dashboard-scia/)

PENNSYLVANIA TAX CREDIT PROGRAMS

EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT TAX CREDIT

OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT

Eligibility for the scholarships is limited to students from low and middle income families.

The average scholarship size is about $2,600.

Eligibility for the scholarships is limited to students assigned to “low-achieving” schools (the bottom 15% on state tests).

The average scholarship size is about $1,900.

$30.5 million for prekindergarten scholarships, and $54.5 million for Education Improvement Organizations.

Less than one in 10 Pennsylvania students are eligible for a scholarship.

Only $263 million in tax credits are available for K–12 scholarships annually, which is equivalent to only 0.42 percent of Pennsylvania’s total K–12 revenue.

Only $85 million in tax credits are available annually, which is equivalent to only 0.17 percent of Pennsylvania’s total K–12 revenue.

SCHOOL CHOICE SUPPORT

School choice continues to recieve bipartisan support. 82% of republicans, 69% of Independents, and 55% of democrats favor school choice. This support raises even more among parents of students in K-12 with 78% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 82% of Republicans in support of Education Savings Accounts for their children.

(Source:https://www.federationforchildren.org/support-for-school-choice-remains-strong-during-volatile-year/)