Reprinted from the NJEA Reporter, January 2004
Research clearly shows that vouchers do not improve student achievement.
But in Milwaukee - home of the nation's first publicly funded voucher program - there are public schools that are helping all students reach new heights. They're called SAGE schools (Student Achievement Guarantee in Education).
When New Jersey voucher supporters fly parents to Milwaukee for carefully scripted tours of voucher schools, they never show them SAGE schools. Why not? Here are some SAGE facts you'll never get from voucher proponents:
Small classes make a difference: SAGE schools (K-5) feature classes of 15 students, based on the Tennessee STAR class size research project, which showed that small classes in the early elementary grades lead to greater student achievement in all subject areas.
Great teachers and extra help make a difference: SAGE schools, which receive additional state funding based on the number of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches, feature morning and after-school programs to provide students with extra help. Teachers in SAGE schools teach a rigorous curriculum, and receive excellent professional development support.
Strong gains for African-American students: Annual evaluations of the SAGE program from 1997 to 2001 have shown that SAGE students consistently out-perform regular Milwaukee public school students. Particularly strong gains were made by African-American students in math, language arts, and total test scores.
There is also encouraging news from New Jersey's Abbott districts, which are now receiving unprecedented funding for pre-school programs, class-size reduction, professional development and after-school programs.
Between 1999 and 2002, Abbott 4th grade students gained 23.9 points on the ESPA test, compared to a 16.8 percent gain by non-Abbott students. The "achievement gap" between disadvantaged/minority students and non-minority students is real, and Abbott districts are now closing it.