IU STUDY SHOWS NO FIRST-YEAR DIFFERENCE IN ACHIEVEMENT
BETWEEN VOUCHER AND PUBLIC SCHOOL THIRD-GRADERS IN CLEVELAND SCHOOLS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--- After one year of studying scholastic achievement in a group of 94 former Cleveland public school third-graders currently enrolled in a special private school voucher program, data gathered by Indiana University School of Education researchers show no significant difference in reading, math, social studies and science skills.

Professor Kim Metcalf, faculty member in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the IU School of Education, is leading a group of researchers in a multi-year study of the effects of the politically contentious voucher school program on students, their parents and schools.

The Ohio Department of Education selected the IU School of Education researchers to initiate what is expected to be a multi-year study of the long-term effects of the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Grant Program. The program, begun in September 1996, allows a small number of low-income students to receive publicly-funded vouchers to attend private schools.

Voucher programs in other cities, as in Cleveland, have become sources of controversy resulting from debates between opponents, who fear that they drain the best students from public schools, and supporters who claim educational benefits for students.

"We feel confident about the rigor of the study, and that it adds substantially to our knowledge of choice programs," said Metcalf. "However, because feelings about vouchers are very strong, intense scrutiny of our work is natural."

According to Metcalf, the IU study has yielded some surprising information. For example, in terms of race, gender, economic and family backgrounds, voucher school students are similar to their Cleveland public school peers. However, voucher school students enter the program with slightly higher academic skills than their counterparts.

"It's important to emphasize that our results only reflect one year of data collection for this group of students," said Metcalf. "Both proponents and opponents of voucher school programs should avoid using these data to build either case because the information is preliminary," he said. "This study is only after the first year of examining a complex, experimental program."

For more information or to obtain the full report and an executive summary, contact Metcalf at 812-855-4438.

[Press contact: Erik Novak, Office of Communications and Marketing, 812-855-0089 or 812-855-3911, enovak@indiana.edu]

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