Spotlight on Choice

The post-Katrina public school landscape in New Orleans is uniquely characterized by city-wide school choice and the variety of schools and school types available to parents and students. All public schools in New Orleans are open to any student residing in the city limits, with no regard to their neighborhood of residence or attendance zone. Additionally, charter schools, which are, by definition, schools of choice, make up a growing majority of the public schools in New Orleans and educate a growing percentage of students. In the 2010-2011 school year, there were more than 40 different charter school operators in the city and 71 percent of public school students attended a charter school. The all-choice model is meant to both provide a diverse portfolio of schools and allow parents to “vote with their feet” and choose the best, most appropriate school for their children. School choice of this nature is based on the premise that parents will select only the highest quality schools, the low-performing schools will be closed due to declining demand, and the overall quality of public schools in the city will improve.

Overall, academic performance at public schools in New Orleans has dramatically increased in the years since Hurricane Katrina. Since 2007, the percentage of students performing at grade level on the state’s high-stakes tests has increased by nearly 20 percentage points, compared to a state average growth of 6 percentage points. However, the unique, first-of-its kind, all-choice model has some unintended consequences for the parents, students, teachers, school leaders and community of New Orleans. Information about schools and school performance is not always easily accessible, application and enrollment processes are varied and sometimes complicated, and many worry about creating a stratified system where parents and students who are less sophisticated or less able to navigate the choice system are relegated to the worst schools. Additionally, with just 10 percent of students attending school in their neighborhood, the cost of transportation is a hurdle for many schools and families. The lack of neighborhood schools also has an effect on community and parent engagement.

In its new project, Spotlight on Choice, the Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University will explore and assess the transparency, equality and sustainability of school choice in New Orleans, including application and enrollment processes, transportation, withdrawal, sibling, and transfer policies. Through a series of white papers, briefings and reports, we will consider the policies, practices, perceptions and trends that define the all-choice system. We will also study the best practices of other school systems implementing choice and will work with decision-makers to provide resources and recommendations as they establish enrollment systems and policies in New Orleans.

Spotlight on Choice Publications and Blogs:

Private Schools and Choice: The Student Scholarships for Education Excellence Pilot Program in Orleans Parish (April 2012)
Since 2008, a publicly-funded private school voucher pilot program in New Orleans has provided nearly 2,000 students from low and moderate income families a scholarship to attend a private or parochial school.  This research brief provides an overview of the New Orleans voucher pilot program and its impact on academic achievement and access to quality schools for all children. For an explanation of the statewide voucher program expansion approved by the Louisiana Legislature in April 2012 and how it differs from the New Orleans pilot program, click here.

What Makes a Great School Truly Great? (March 1, 2012)

K-12 Public Education through the Public Eye: Parents’ Perceptions of School Choice (December 2011)
The Cowen Institute’s third annual public opinion poll surveyed parents of students in New Orleans public schools to asses their experiences in the open enrollment system and their perceptions of the availability of information on public schools and public school options. Read an article about the survey in the Times-Picayune here.

RSD’s New Enrollment Program (December 21, 2011)

Grading New Orleans on School Choice (December 19, 2011)

Lessons in School Choice: What the RSD’s Unified Enrollment System Can Learn from Other Cities (December 6, 2011)

Case Studies of School Choice and Open Enrollment in Four Cities (November 2011)
While New Orleans is at the vanguard of a number of public education innovations, it was not the first public school system to put into place an open enrollment policy. This briefing presents four case studies that review the open enrollment policies and systems in New Orleans, Cambridge, San Diego, and New York City, examining how the systems operate and the impact they have on students and families.

New Online Tool Illustrates Public School and Neighborhood Demographics (September 13, 2011)

Spotlight on Choice In the News:

The Cowen Institute is very pleased and honored to receive an IMPACT 2011 challenge grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) to support our Spotlight on Choice initiative, a study of school choice in New Orleans. Because we are a challenge grant recipient, GNOF has committed to match all donations to our project up to $12,500. Please help us continue this important research by donating today. Click here to give now, and make sure to designate your gift for “Spotlight on Choice”!