This article reviews three ways of discussing and analyzing public and private educational choice. The first is theoretical, the second is evaluation of existing choice programs, and the third is to infer from differences between public and private schools as they now exist. The basic argument is that at present, very little is known about the potential impacts of choice and that research should therefore move carefully, experimenting with constrained programs along with other nonchoice options.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alexander, K. L.
, & Pallas, A. M. (1985). School sector and cognitive performance: When is a little a little?Sociology of Education, 58, 115-128.
2.
Bass, G.
(1978). Alternatives in American education: Vol 1. District policies and the implementation of change. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
3.
Capell, F.
(1981). A study of alternatives in American education: Vol 6. Student outcomes at Alum Rock 1974-76. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
4.
Chubb, J. E.
, & Moe, T. M. (1990a). Politics, markets, and American schools. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
5.
Chubb, J. E.
, & Moe, T. M. (1990b). America's public schools: Choice is a panacea. Brookings Review, No. 3, 4-12.
6.
Cohen, D. K.
(1991). Governance and instruction: The promise of decentralization and choice. In W. H. Clune & J. F. Witte (Eds.), Choice and control in American education: Vol. 1. The theory of choice and control in education (pp. 337-386). New York: Falmer.
7.
Cohen, D. K.
, & Farrar, E. (1977). Power to the parents? The story of educational vouchers. Public Interest, 48, 72-97.
8.
Coleman, J. S.
, & Hoffer, T. (1987). Public and private high schools. New York: Basic Books.
9.
Coleman, J. S.
, Hoffer, T., & Kilgore, S. (1982). High school achievement. New York: Basic Books.
10.
Darling-Hammond, L.
, & Kirby, S. N. (1988). Public policy and private choice: The case of Minnesota. In T. James & H. M. Levin (Eds.), Comparing public and private schools: Vol. 1. Institutions and organizations (pp. 243-267). New York: Falmer.
11.
Friedman, M.
(1955). The role of government in education. In R. A. Solo (Ed.), Economics and the public interest (pp. 123-144). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
12.
Glass, G. V.
, McGraw, B., & Smith, M. L. (1981). Meta-analysis in social research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
13.
Goldberger, A.
, & Cain, G. (1982). The causal analysis of cognitive outcomes in the Coleman, Hoffer and Kilgore report. Sociology of Education, 55, 103-122.
14.
Haveman, R.
(1987). Poverty policy and poverty research. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
15.
Hoffer, T.
, Greeley, A. M., & Coleman, J. S. (1985). Achievement growth in public and Catholic high schools. Sociology of Education, 58, 74-97.
16.
Jencks, C.
(1985). How much do high school students learn?Sociology of Education, 58, 128-135.
17.
Kirby, S. N.
, & Darling-Hammond, L. (1988). Parental schooling choice: A case study of Minnesota. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 7, 506-517.
18.
Lee, V. E.
, & Bryk, A. S. (1989). A multilevel model of the social distribution of high school achievement. Sociology of Education, 62, 172-192.
19.
Levin, H. M.
(1988). Education as a public and private good. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 6, 628-641.
20.
Meyer, R. H.
(1988). Applied versus traditional mathematics: New econometric models of the contribution of high school courses to mathematics proficiency. Washington, DC: National Assessment of Vocational Education.
21.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
. (1989). Curriculum standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.
22.
Puckett, J. L.
(1983a). Educational vouchers: Rhetoric or reality. Educational Forum, 47, 467-492.
23.
Puckett, J. L.
(1983b). Educational vouchers: Rhetoric and reality. Educational Forum, 48, 7-26.
24.
Willms, J. D.
(1985). Catholic school effects on academic achievement: New evidence from the High School and Beyond follow-up study. Sociology of Education, 58, 98-114.
25.
Witte, J. F.
(1990, August). Understanding high school education: After a decade of research, do we have any confident policy recommendations? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco.
26.
Witte, J. F.
(1991a). Choice in American education. Educational Considerations, 19, 12-19.
27.
Witte, J. F.
(1991b). Choice and control in American education: An analytical overview. In W. H. Clune & J. F. Witte (Eds.), Choice and control in American education: Vol 1. The theory of choice and control in education (pp. 11-46). New York: Falmer.
28.
Witte, J. F.
(1 991c). First year report: Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Madison, WI: Department of Public Instruction.
29.
Witte, J. F.
, & Walsh, D. (1990). A systematic test of the effective schools model. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 12, 188-212.
