Innovations in Education: Creating Strong District School Choice Programs

Publisher: U.S. Department of Education
Publication Date: 2004
Full text available online at: http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/choiceprograms/index.html

Brief Description

Under No Child Left Behind, two circumstances make public school students eligible for school choice. The first is "when the Title I school they attend has not made adequate yearly progress in improving student achievement-as defined by the state-for two consecutive years or longer and is therefore identified as needing improvement, corrective action, or restructuring."¹ The second is "when they attend any 'persistently dangerous school' or have been a victim on school grounds of a 'violent' crime, as defined by the individual state."² Using the concrete experiences of five geographically and demographically diverse school districts, this report explains to districts a strategy for implementing choice options more effectively and making choice part of a coherent program. The four key actions of this strategy are as follows:

1. Help parents make informed choices.
   
2. Build district infrastructure.
   
3. Support schools.
   
4. Improve programs over time.

For each key action, there are first steps and long-term objectives. The report also lists key success factors for implementing choice:

1. Competent leaders and staff
   
2. True partnership with parents and community
   
3. Accountability and competition as positive factors
   
4. A well-crafted, comprehensive strategy

¹ Questions and Answers on No Child Left Behind, http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/faqs.html
² Ibid.

*WestEd conducted the research and developed this guide for the Office of Innovation and Improvement.

To read other guides in USDE's Innovations in Education series, visit SchoolsMovingUp's following links:

Innovations in Education: Successful Charter Schools

Innovations in Education: Creating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs

Innovations in Education: Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification

Innovations in Education: Pathways to School Leadership