Increasing choice in the market for schools: Recent reforms and their effects on student achievement

Increased parental school choice has become a popular education reform strategy, but evidence of its effectiveness in improving student achievement is mixed. In this paper, we examine the rationale for school choice, obstacles to fulf lling its theoretical promise, and results observed to date. We supplement our discussion with data from a survey of Milwaukee principals. Survey f ndings suggest that school leaders feel competitive pressures from certain types of schools but tend to respond by improving their marketing efforts rather than their educational programs.