A Dairyland Sentinel Perspective by George Mitchell

Newly released state data allow for comparisons between students in the state’s private school choice programs and public school students.

Continuing a record dating to the late 2010s, private choice students scored higher, on average, on state tests than comparable groups of public school students.  Furthermore, choice students outscored all public students on the college-readiness ACT exam.

Why Is This Significant?

The results are particularly striking given that research strongly suggests many private choice students enter the choice programs with scores lower than public school peers.  Furthermore, taxpayer per pupil funding for choice students averages about 70 percent of public school funding.

Milwaukee and Racine

The data from the Department of Public Instruction allow for 36 comparisons on state tests and the ACT between (1) private choice students in Milwaukee and Racine and (2) public school students in the Milwaukee Public Schools and the Racine Unified School District.

On every comparison, private choice students outscored public students.  These comparisons are between means-tested choice students and public school students from all income levels.  (Choice eligibility in Milwaukee and Racine is for students from families at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Limit.)

Statewide (Excluding Milwaukee and Racine) 

Eligibility for the statewide choice program is limited to students from families at or below 220% of the Federal Poverty Limit.  Available data allow for comparisons between those low-income students and (1) students from all income levels and (2) students from “economically disadvantaged” families at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Limit.

Low-income choice students significantly outperformed public students from economically disadvantaged in 18 of 18 comparisons.  The low income choice students scored higher than students from all income levels on 9 of 18 comparisons

Summary

The new data reinforce a recent School Choice Wisconsin report showing that private choice schools are significantly more productive than public schools.  As that report demonstrated, school choice is by far Wisconsin’s most cost-effective investment.

George Mitchell is a School Choice Wisconsin volunteer.