Results
DPI rankings show higher results for choice and charter students
Students in Wisconsin’s private school choice programs consistently score higher than public school students on the college readiness ACT test (see results here). On state academic tests, students in the Milwaukee and Racine programs demonstrate equal or higher levels of academic proficiency. Students in the statewide program outscore their low-income peers. Charter students also demonstrate higher proficiency levels.
Gold standard studies mostly positive
Nationally, 17 high-quality experimental studies have examined the effect of voucher programs. Eleven found positive results; four found no effect; two found negative effects. See this link.
Private school students more likely to be successful in life
Two high-quality studies have examined the prospects after high school for Milwaukee choice students.
- A study for the Annenberg Institute at Brown University found: “As of 2018, [Milwaukee choice] students have spent more total years in a four-year college than their MPS peers. The MPCP students in the grade three through eight sample attained college degrees at rates that are statistically significantly higher than their matched MPS peers.” See this link.
- A separate study, in the Journal of Private Enterprise, examined “the effects of Milwaukee’s school voucher program on adult criminal activity and paternity suits … We find that exposure to the program … is associated with a reduction of around 53 percent in drug convictions, 86 percent in property damage convictions, and 38 percent in paternity suits. The program effects tend to be largest for males and students with lower levels of academic achievement at baseline.” See this link.