Global Warming (to School Vouchers) Though school vouchers have
met with a chilly reception by some in Ohio, other countries
have warmed up to them quite nicely--for good reason, too.
There’s mounting evidence that they’re having a considerable
impact on student outcomes. Consider Columbia (yes, Columbia).
During the 1990s, its government instituted a voucher program to
increase access to high schools, providing over 125,000 students
(via a lottery) with about half the cost of tuition at a private
school. Researchers have found that those in the program were 15
to 20 percent more likely to finish high school, had lower rates
of grade repetition, earned higher scores on academic
assessments, and were more likely to sit for college entrance
exams. In Sweden, education reforms in the early 1990s resulted
in greater choice for parents and students via a government-
funded voucher program. The result has been expanded schooling
options and some compelling proof that competition and choice
raise standards for everyo