Effects of School Choice in Indiana

Indiana has broadened its school choice offerings with its scholarship (voucher) program and expansion of charter schools. This project, led by Dr. Mark Berends, addresses the impacts of vouchers and charter schools on student achievement gains, engagement, high school graduation, and college attendance and graduation. The project also examines whether these impacts differ among groups, thus affecting the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic achievement gaps. The project analyzes several years of longitudinal, student-level demographic and test score records from CREO’s partnership with the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE).In addition, the project team conducted over 100 interviews of principals, teachers, parents, and students in thirteen private schools participating in the voucher program. These interviews provide essential information about the academic and social integration of students receiving vouchers. The team is revisiting these schools in 2017-18 to understand how schools have changed in response to the voucher program.  

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