What is school choice?
School choice refers to programs and policies that allow parents to choose the school their child attends, whether that’s a traditional public school, public charter school, private school, or homeschooling. School choice aims to provide families with options beyond just their neighborhood school. Common school choice programs include open enrollment policies, charter schools, voucher programs, education savings accounts, and tax credit scholarships.
School choice policies have expanded significantly over the past few decades. As of 2021, all 50 states and Washington D.C. have some form of school choice program or policy in place. The most prevalent nationwide are charter schools and open enrollment policies that allow students to transfer between traditional public school districts. Other options like vouchers and education savings accounts are available in a more limited number of states.
Proponents of school choice argue that it creates healthy competition between schools, empowers parents and students, improves academic outcomes, and helps disadvantaged students access better school options. Critics argue that school choice drains funding and resources from traditional public schools, increases racial and socioeconomic segregation, and lacks adequate accountability measures for private schools or charters. The empirical research on the academic effects of school choice remains mixed and inconclusive according to several major literature reviews.
Does Ohio have school choice programs?
Yes, Ohio has several school choice programs and policies in place. The main options for K-12 education in Ohio include:
– Traditional public schools – Ohio has over 600 public school districts run by locally elected school boards. Students are assigned to schools in their district based on geographical zones, but open enrollment allows switching districts.
– Charter schools – Ohio has hundreds of public charter schools across the state which are publicly funded but independently operated. They are primarily located in urban areas.
– Private schools – Ohio has over 700 private schools. To help low-income families afford tuition, the state has voucher programs like EdChoice Scholarships and the Cleveland Scholarship Program.
– Homeschooling – Ohio parents may homeschool their children as an alternative to public or private schools. Parents must notify their district.
– Online schools – Ohio students can take full-time online courses through programs like the Ohio Virtual Academy run by K12 Inc. Students work remotely with state-certified teachers.
In addition to these school choice options, Ohio also allows for dual enrollment where high school students take college courses for credit.
Open Enrollment in Ohio
Ohio has had statewide open enrollment for public schools since 1993. Open enrollment enables students to apply to transfer from their resident school district to another district or public school in the state. Here are some key facts about open enrollment in Ohio:
– Students can begin open enrolling as early as kindergarten. There are no caps on how many students a district can accept.
– The application window is from February 1 to April 15 each year for the following school year. Applications can be submitted to up to three districts.
– Accepted students can begin attending their new district at the start of the next school year. Districts must provide transportation within a 30 minute radius.
– Districts may deny open enrollment requests if grade levels or programs are at capacity. Lotteries are held if there are more applicants than slots.
– Students from poor-performing schools designated as “challenged school districts” have priority in open enrollment lotteries.
– High school athletes may lose eligibility to play sports for one year if they transfer via open enrollment.
– Funding follows students to their new district. The state withholds per-pupil funding from the resident district and transfers it to the new district.
– Open enrollment numbers have climbed from around 35,000 students in 2006 to over 65,000 students in the 2018-19 school year.
Charter Schools in Ohio
Ohio passed legislation allowing the creation of charter schools in 1997. Also known as community schools, charters are independent public schools allowed to operate with exemptions from many state regulations. Here are some key facts about Ohio charter schools:
– There are over 320 charter schools operating around 400 campuses in Ohio as of 2021. Enrollment is over 120,000 students.
– Charter schools are primarily concentrated in Ohio’s urban areas. Over half of charter students reside in the eight largest urban school districts.
– Charters are sponsored by nonprofit organizations that oversee and evaluate their performance. Sponsors can close charters for poor academics, finances, or mismanagement.
– On average, charter schools perform worse on state assessments than traditional public schools. However, individual charters show a wide range of outcomes.
– Charter school teachers must be certified, but charters have flexibility in curriculum, instruction methods, staffing, school calendars, and budgets.
– Funding comes from the per-pupil state formula amount, adjusted lower for charters. Charters also receive federal and state grants.
– Charters are free and open to all Ohio students. If oversubscribed, lotteries are used for admissions.
Private School Choice in Ohio
Ohio has two voucher programs—EdChoice and Cleveland Scholarship—that allow students to use public funding to help pay private school tuition. Ohio also has a tax credit scholarship program.
EdChoice Scholarship Program
The EdChoice Scholarship Program began in 2006 and is open to K-12 students from underperforming public schools. Here are details on EdChoice:
– Scholarship amounts are up to $4,650 for K-8 and $6,000 for high school per year to cover private school tuition.
– Families have income eligibility limits of 400% of the federal poverty level, or about $111,000 for a family of four.
– To qualify, students must be assigned to a designated “underperforming” public school or live in the attendance zone of one. The state designates schools based on past school report cards.
– Private schools must register with the state to accept EdChoice vouchers. Over 250 private schools accept them. Most are religious schools.
– In 2020-21, around 30,000 students used EdChoice vouchers to attend private schools.
Cleveland Scholarship Program
The Cleveland Scholarship Program began in 1995 and provides vouchers to students living in the Cleveland Municipal School District. Details include:
– Vouchers cover up to $4,650 for K-8 tuition and $6,000 for high school tuition at participating private schools.
– Eligibility is not income-based; any Cleveland resident student can qualify.
– Private schools must register with the state to participate. Over 60 private schools accept the Cleveland vouchers.
– In 2020-21, around 6,500 vouchers were awarded to Cleveland students.
Income-Based Scholarship Program
Ohio’s income-based scholarship program started in 2013 and awards need-based vouchers to students irrespective of the public school they are assigned to attend. Key facts:
– Vouchers are worth up to $4,650 for K-8 and $6,000 for high school toward tuition at participating private schools.
– To qualify, family income must be at or below 250% of federal poverty level, or around $69,000 for a family of four.
– In 2020-21, around 4,500 vouchers were awarded through the income-based program.
Ohio Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Ohio’s tax credit scholarship was established in 2021. It offers tax credits to individuals and businesses donating to nonprofit scholarship granting organizations that provide private school vouchers to eligible students.
– Donors can claim tax credits on their state income taxes worth up to 100% of their donation.
– Vouchers are worth up to $500-$1,000 toward private school tuition. To qualify, family income must be below 250% of poverty level.
– The tax credit program is currently capped at awarding $10 million in donations and vouchers annually.
– In 2021, its first year, tax credit scholarships were awarded to around 1,400 students.
Homeschooling in Ohio
Homeschooling has been legally permitted in Ohio since 1989. Here are some key aspects of homeschooling in Ohio:
– Parents must notify their local public school district of intent to homeschool by August 1 before the school year starts. The notification must include student name, age, address and curriculum plans.
– No subjects are mandatory, but Ohio recommends following minimum public school curriculum standards. Homeschool students are exempt from state testing.
– Homeschool students may dual enroll to take classes at public schools. They can also participate in public school sports and activities.
– Families must pay for their own curriculum, books and supplies without state funding. The state does not monitor or assess homeschooled students.
– An estimated 25,000-35,000 students are homeschooled in Ohio, about 1-2% of school-aged children. Numbers have steadily grown over the past decade.
– Ohio homeschoolers may form cooperatives to share resources, activities and elective classes. Statewide homeschool organizations also offer support, events and field trips.
– Students have flexibility in when they complete high school. They can earn a diploma from their local district, homeschool association, or take the GED exam.
Online Public Schools in Ohio
Ohio families also have the option of full-time online public school programs. These operate as public charter schools with state-certified teachers providing instruction virtually. Some key facts about online schools in Ohio:
– Major statewide online public schools include the Ohio Virtual Academy, Buckeye Online School for Success, and Ohio Connections Academy.
– Enrollment is over 36,000 students statewide in online charter schools. The Ohio Virtual Academy is one of the nation’s largest online schools.
– Like all charters, online schools are funded on a per-pupil basis through state payments deducted from students’ home districts.
– Achievement and graduation rates lag at online charters compared to brick-and-mortar schools. However, performance varies widely across different programs.
– Online charters provide computers, software, textbooks, and other materials to students learning remotely. Many also offer in-person field trips, events, and labs.
– Students follow a structured curriculum meeting state standards. They have both synchronous and self-paced lessons supervised by teachers.
– Online public schools are free to attend for Ohio residents. Enrollment is open to students in grades K-12 across the state.
College Credit Plus Program
Ohio’s College Credit Plus program allows students in grades 7-12 to take college courses for dual credit towards both high school and college graduation requirements. Here are some features of the program:
– Students can enroll part-time or full-time at any public college or university in Ohio that participates in the program. Several private colleges also participate.
– Courses can be taken at the college campus, online, or taught at the high school itself by credentialed adjunct professors.
– Families do not pay college tuition under College Credit Plus, but may need to pay fees and book costs.
– Students earn dual credit that counts towards high school graduation and their college degree or transfer credits.
– Over 52,000 students participated in College Credit Plus across Ohio in the 2020-21 school year.
– Students can earn an associate degree or substantial credits towards a bachelor’s degree by high school graduation through College Credit Plus.
– Participating does not guarantee enrollment at any particular college after graduation. Students must still apply and be admitted.
Conclusion
In summary, Ohio offers one of the most robust set of K-12 school choice options in the country through its open enrollment policies, public charter schools, two private school voucher programs, full-time online schools, homeschooling, and College Credit Plus dual enrollment opportunities. These school choice initiatives aim to provide families with expanded educational options that best match their needs and preferences. While results are mixed, school choice in Ohio continues to grow, with over 20% of students opting for educational alternatives beyond their traditional neighborhood public school. The popularity of school choice in Ohio reflects both its intrinsic appeal to families as well as ongoing efforts by legislators to promote alternatives to conventional school assignments. With open enrollment, charters, vouchers, homeschooling, and dual enrollment all continuing to expand, Ohio is likely to remain a national leader in providing parents and students with school choice.