NEPC Review: Education Freedom and Student Achievement: Is More School Choice Associated with Higher State-Level Performance on the NAEP? (University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, March 2021)

Abstract

A School Choice Demonstration Project report ranks states based on their expansion of market-oriented school policies such as vouchers, charters, homeschooling, and inter-district choice. It then compares this &ldquo;education freedom&rdquo; ranking to National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) scores, finding a positive correlation between &ldquo;freedom&rdquo; and these scores, and hints at a causal relationship between &ldquo;education freedom&rdquo; and student learning. However, the report ignores relevant peer-reviewed research that has found negative consequences of school choice reforms, and significant methodological flaws cast doubt on its findings. These shortcomings and others undermine the report&rsquo;s conclusions and render it useless for purposes of guiding policymaking. </div