Report Shows Voucher Schools Fail Accountability Test
The success or failure of the Milwaukee private school voucher program
cannot be accurately measured because uniform testing is not required
in participating schools, according to a report released Wednesday (February
2, 2000) by the Legislative Audit Bureau.
The report also said it is not possible to determine whether the schools
are accepting or meeting the needs of special needs students because participating
schools are not required to share that information.
The report is the first formal evaluation of the private school voucher
program since 1995. Previous formal evaluations by University of Wisconsin-Madison
Professor John Witte found no evidence that the voucher program has improved
the academic performance of participating students.
“This study shows voucher schools have failed the accountability
test,” WEAC President Terry Craney said of the new analysis. “Since
1990, the state has sent $92.6 million to private and religious schools
participating in the program. Our return on that investment is unanswered
questions about whether children are receiving a good education, and whether
the schools are admitting students on a fair and equal basis.
"It is unacceptable that the State of Wisconsin is not requiring
reasonable reports on the dollars it is giving away to the private sector.
In the absence of such accountability, vouchers may become a permanent
drain on taxpayers’ pocketbooks."
Craney called on the Legislature to require voucher schools to either
report student test scores or to administer state standardized tests,
and to give the Department of Public Instruction more oversight of the
schools.
Last year, People for the American Way filed a complaint with DPI charging
that 17 voucher schools are violating the legal requirement that they
adopt and utilize a random selection process. The group also charged that
some schools are violating program rules by forcing participating families
to pay large fees and refusing to allow children to opt out of religious
programs. DPI is investigating those complaints.
“These schools must not be allowed to discriminate against students
on the basis of special needs or any other reason," Craney said.
"All children, no matter where they live or what their needs, deserve
great schools," Craney said. "We hope this study will focus
attention on the need to make sure that all schools supported by tax dollars
are accountable to the public, parents and students, and provide a quality
education for all.”
Posted February 2, 2000