School Voucher Grade Inflation

The term “school voucher” -- a credit that a student can use for tuition -- means that government subsidizes private schools. This is attractive to many people. It offers lower-income students an escape from inadequate, failing public schools, while promising religious parents the chance to send their kids to parochial schools much more cheaply.

But critics of school vouchers -- me included -- have pointed to evidence showing that school choice doesn’t improve academic performance. Although charter schools -- which are new schools established with the specific purpose of improving teaching techniques, often for the most disadvantaged students -- have shown some modest but promising success in raising test scores, vouchers have generally disappointed.