First Edition of Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking & Scorecard Offers Roadmap for Policymakers

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
August 27, 2014

Out of 14 states and the District of Columbia that have voucher programs, three earn A’s, three earn B’s, seven earn C’s, and two earn D’s on a new ranking and analysis from the Center for Education Reform (CER), School Choice Today: Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking & Scorecard 2014 released today.

The first of its kind, the Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking & Scorecard 2014 is an in-depth analysis and state-by-state comparison of the over two-dozen voucher programs currently in existence today.

“Having a voucher law on the books is a good start, but not enough to make sure students are actually benefitting from school choice programs,” said Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform. “Policy design is critical, but the true strength of school choice voucher programs depends heavily on implementation.”

“From the types of students eligible to the number of regulations imposed on private schools, each element of a voucher program’s design impacts how effectively the voucher truly empowers parents with the ability to choose the best school for their child,” said Brian Backstrom, Senior Policy Advisor to the Center for Education Reform and author of the report.

CER assesses voucher programs based on four components:

• Student eligibility requirements;
• Program design;
• Preservation of private school autonomy; and
• Student participation.

“Now that we have reliable policy blueprints and visible implementation of strong voucher programs, more state leaders need to step up to the plate in order to grow and expand school choice opportunities across the U.S. so more children have access to options that best meet their individual learning needs,” said Kerwin.

Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform, is available for comment on the Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking & Scorecard 2014. Members of the media should contact CER Communications Director Michelle Tigani at 301-986-8088 or [email protected] to set up interviews.

This effort to rate state voucher laws builds on the previous work of CER to rank the strength of state charter school laws and laws that have created state tax credit-funded scholarship programs. Click here to read School Choice Today: Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking & Scorecard 2014.