House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee’s Senior Republican, today highlighted a new U.S. Education Department report detailing strong parental and student satisfaction with the quality and safety of schools taking part in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The program is the first federally-backed school choice initiative for low-income families living in the District of Columbia.  The results of today’s report reflect those of a study released last month by Georgetown University.

“Parents and students continue to embrace the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, and it’s making a real difference for students in our nation’s capital,” said McKeon.  “Not only are parents and students overwhelmingly satisfied with the quality of this program, but they also believe that participating schools provide a safer learning environment in which students can learn and thrive.  Opponents of parental choice should take note: this program, which was crafted in a bipartisan way, is providing students real hope of receiving the education that every child – not just the privileged few – deserves.”

The new report also tracked preliminary data on transitional student progress during the Opportunity Scholarship program’s first year in existence.  More definitive studies – encompassing several years of relevant data – will be published by the Department over the next several years.  However, the results of this initial study show that the Washington, D.C. program’s first year results are similar to first year results in other large-city school choice programs, including those in New York City, Dayton, Ohio, and earlier, privately-funded District of Columbia programs.  In each of these cases, relevant data that demonstrated student progress was not available at least the programs’ second year in operation.

“It’s encouraging that student progress within the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is on par with early academic progress of students who enrolled in similar programs in other large cities,” McKeon noted.  “I look forward to reviewing more conclusive data over the next several years so we can determine the program’s true impact on student achievement.  Based on the results of similar programs nationwide, I expect the results will be very encouraging.”

Earlier this year, McKeon introduced legislation – the Empowering Parents through Choice Act (H.R. 1486) – to provide expanded choice for parents whose children are trapped in schools that consistently underperform and show little or no signs of improving.  Specifically, the bill would:

• Award scholarships of up to $4,000 to students attending schools identified as in need of restructuring under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  Schools begin the process of restructuring after they fall short of making adequate progress under NCLB for five consecutive years.  These scholarships could apply to the cost of tuition, fees, and transportation at the public or private school of a parent’s choice; 
• Add a new option to NCLB’s accountability system to give school districts the flexibility to offer students attending schools that have entered restructuring (schools that have not shown progress for five consecutive years) scholarships in the amount of $4,000 to attend private schools of their choice; and  
• Allow states, school districts, and private and non-profit organizations to compete for additional funds dedicated to intensive supplemental educational services to children in schools identified for restructuring.  Supplemental educational services – such as after-school tutoring – are provided outside of the regular school day and are based on high-quality research designed to help improve the student’s academic achievement.

More information on the Empowering Parents through Choice Act is available here: http://republicans.edlabor.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=150&IID=7.

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