COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OUTCOMES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NCLB PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE PROVISION

Abstract

Expanding schooling options for children in low performing schools is one of the major principles of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy, representing two reform initiatives for public education school improvement that have dominated the conversations among public education policymakers, test-based accountability and school choice. Given their focus on NCLB policy, both may likely permeate discussions concerning the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act and public education reform efforts in years to come and to have enduring effects on public education in America. One effect of NCLB has been the expansion of school choice by mandating Title I schools in need of improvement for consecutive years of failing to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) targets and also requires school districts to provide free transportation for students who choose to transfer to an identified school eligible to receive choice students in the district. In this study the grade level, gender, and ethnic characteristics of the students who chose to transfer under the public school choice provision of NCLB were explored. Based on the schools and district in this study, results suggest that more middle school and African American students have participated in NCLB public school choice. Results from this study suggest that NCLB public school choice participation has been considerably low compared to the number of students eligible to participate. Another set of analysis for this study focus on the effects of the NCLB school choice provisions on district and school achievement outcomes based on NCLB AYP standards. This study suggests NCLB public school choice has had a limited impact on AYP achievement outcomes for sending and receiving schools as a function of NCLB public school choice implementation. For future research, it will be important to examine the impact of NCLB public school choice implementation on individual student achievement outcomes. It will be important to determine if there is a positive benefit of improved test scores for students who participate in NCLB public school choice. If there is a positive benefit, it will be helpful to identify patterns by demographic and achievement characteristics.