Raising Achievement Through Choice: Who’s Responsible?

Adopting choice doesn't automatically yield higher student achievement, of course. School Choice: Doing It The Right Way Makes A Difference (Brookings Institution, 2004), a recent report by the National Working Commission on Choice in K-12 Education, emphasizes this point.

"Choice is not a teacher, a classroom, or an instructional resource. If choice affects what students learn, it works indirectly, by leading to changes in what students experience, read, and hear. The same is true about other possible outcomes of choice. Choice forms only part of an institutional framework in which particular events can occur."(p.10)

The theory is that for choice to lead to achievement multiple players must carry out their respective responsibilities, as illustrated in the diagram below.

The district must start by offering an array of high-quality schooling options that address the diverse needs and interests of constituent families.

Families have to become knowledgeable about these options, which requires a joint effort between them and the district. Families must then make the right choice for their child. They must opt for a school not necessarily because it’s closest to home or because it’s where their child’s friends are going (although those factors may warrant consideration), but because when all factors are considered—chief among them, the education program—a particular school looks like the best match for the child. But this is not enough.

In fact, choice operates best in school districts that have viable parental involvement programs. No matter what school they attend, students are likely to have better academic outcomes if the adults at home are supportive of their efforts and their school. A choice program seeds and nurtures that support by encouraging parents and guardians to carefully consider all the schooling options and to pick the one that seems most promising for their children. Those whose children are admitted to a school that has engendered the family’s interest and enthusiasm are more likely to stay closely involved as their children progress through school. They also become the school’s best allies in doing what it takes to ensure that all of its students get the best education possible. But even this doesn’t suffice for higher achievement.

Students must be engaged in their education, contributing to their own success by working hard. Attending a school that is a good match for them helps this happen.

Finally, for higher achievement to result, the school of choice must deliver on its promises. When teachers, parents, and other stakeholders come together to improve an existing school so as to make it more appealing in a choice system or to develop a charter or magnet school from scratch, those involved commit to a shared vision and must then carry through on a mission-driven education program. Only then can the rich potential of a school of choice be fully realized.