Privatizing Education : Can The School Marketplace Deliver Freedom Of Choice, Efficiency, Equity, And Social Cohesion?

Privatizing Education is a collection of essays written by such luminaries as Martin Carnoy, Christopher Connell, Wendy Connors, Fred Doolittle, Pearl Rock Kane, Frank Kemerer, Christopher Lauricella, Arthur Levine, Ellen Magenheim, Patrick McEwan, Lee D. Mitgang, David Myers, Gary Natriello, Caroline Persell, Mark Schneider, Janelle Scott, Geoffrey Walford, and Amy Stuart Wells who examine the efforts of some educators, reformers, investors, and political groups to move education from the public to the private sector. This is occurring through tuition tax credits, voucher initiatives, and for-profit, educational management organizations. The volume grows out of a conference that took place at Columbia University’s Teachers College which launched the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education. Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1 Studying Privatization in Education -- Introduction -- Setting the Agenda -- Surveying the Horizon -- Notes -- References -- 2 Educational Vouchers and the Media -- The Stakes and the Stakeholders -- The Media's Challenges -- What Can Be Done? -- Notes -- References -- Implementation Issues -- 3 The Legal Status of Privatization and Vouchers in Education -- Privatization Within the Public Sector -- Vouchers, Tax Deductions, and Tax Credits -- Stakeholders and the Research Agenda -- Conclusion -- Appendix -- Notes -- 4 Information and Choice in Educational Privatization -- Parents as Stakeholders: Choice at the Individual Level -- The Benefits and Costs of Gathering Information About Public Goods -- Not Everyone Needs to Be Informed: The Concept of the "Marginal Consumer -- The Role of Other Stakeholders in the Provision of Information -- The Role of Other Levels of Government and Business as Stakeholders -- Increasing Information Levels -- Constructing an Internet Site for Schools in the District of Columbia -- Stratification in the Use of Information -- Setting an Agenda for Schools and Information -- Notes -- References -- Preschools and Higher Education -- 5 Preschools and Privatization -- The Issues -- Who Are the Stakeholders with an Interest in This Issue and What Are Their Interests and Concerns? -- What Types of Studies Might Address These Concerns? -- Conclusion -- References -- 6 Privatization in Higher Education -- The Major Actors -- The Implications for Higher Education -- Research Questions -- References -- International Dimensions -- 7 Privatization Through Vouchers in Developing Countries: The Cases of Chile and Colombia -- Vouchers and Reform in Chile, 1980-1996 -- Lessons from the Chilean Voucher Plan Targeted Vouchers in Colombia -- Lessons from the Colombian Voucher Plan -- Conclusions -- Notes -- References -- 8 Privatization in Industrialized Countries -- Privatization in England and Wales -- Privatization Measures in the 1990s -- Privatization Under Labour? -- Privatization in the Netherlands -- Setting the Research Agenda -- References -- Charter Schools -- 9 Assessing the Growth and Potential of Charter Schools -- Charter Schools: Early History -- The Charter School Concept -- From Concept to Reality -- Factors That Inhibit or Stimulate Charter School Growth -- Charter School Demographics -- Charter Schools as a Potential Reform -- References -- 10 Privatization and Charter School Reform: Economic, Political and Social Dimensions -- The Multiple Meanings of Charter School Reform and Privatization -- The Intersection of Charter School Reform and Privatization -- Implications and Further Research -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Perspectives of Stakeholders -- 11 Vouchers, Privatization, and the Poor -- Framing the Issue -- Major Stakeholders -- Stakeholder Interests -- Studies to Address the Concerns of Stakeholders -- Existing Research -- Conclusion -- References -- 12 Teachers and Privatization -- Who Are the Stakeholders and What Are Their Concerns -- Previous Work on Privatization -- Needed Research -- Notes -- References -- Evaluation Designs -- 13 Criteria for Evaluating School Voucher Studies -- Framing the Policy Question -- Criteria for Evaluating School Voucher Studies -- Summary of Criteria and Illustrative Report Card -- Notes -- References -- 14 Designing Education Voucher Experiments: Recommendations for Researchers, Funders, and Users -- Key Policy-Related Questions -- Key Research Methodology Questions -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- About the Editor and Contributors -- Index Introduction. Studying privatization in education / Henry M. Levin Educational vouchers and the media / Lee D. Mitgang and Christopher V. Connell. Implementation issues. The legal status of privatization and vouchers in education / Frank R. Kemerer Information and choice in educational privatization / Mark Schneider. Preschools and higher education. Preschools and privatization / Ellen Magenheim Privatization in higher education / Arthur Levine. International dimensions. Privatization through vouchers in developing countries : the cases of Chile and Colombia / Martin Carnoy and Patrick J. McEwan Privatization in industrialized countries / Geoffrey Walford. Charter schools. Assessing the growth and potential of charter schools / Pearl Rock Kane and Christopher J. Lauricella Privatization and charter school reform : economic, political and social dimensions / Amy Stuart Wells and Janelle Scott. Perspectives of stakeholders. Vouchers, privatization, and the poor / Gary Natriello Teachers and privatization / Caroline Hodges Persell. Evaluation designs. Criteria for evaluating school voucher studies / Devid E. Myers Designing education voucher experiments : recommendations for researchers, funders, and users / Fred Doolittle and Wendy Connors An insightful and timely look at one of the hottest policy issues in education today: the initiative to move education from the public sector to the private sector. At the start of the twenty-first century we are witnessing forces pushing for dramatic changes in our public and private institutions.