School choice & equity in Delaware: looking back, looking forward

Date
2015
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University of Delaware
Abstract
This thesis looks into the context, genesis and intent, locally and nationally, of Delaware's school choice policy. Further, it examines trends in the utilization of school choice, school performance and demographic composition of Delaware schools as they have ensued in the twenty years since choice and charter laws were passed. Weighing positive outcomes against the negative overall and among student subgroups, in terms of achievement and isolation, the analysis focuses on the extent to which achievement shifts realize the promise of school choice policy of ensuring gains for all students or, as is more typical, align with the relative advantage of school demographic profile (finding that trends favor the latter interpretation of student stratification along socioeconomic lines). Given the intention of Delaware school choice policy to move away from that traditional struggle and cast a wider net of high quality schooling for children of all backgrounds - and the likelihood that choice will continue as a feature of the state's publicly funded system of education - this thesis ultimately reviews Delaware's school choice implementation, drawing comparisons with other locales in order to make recommendations for future practice.
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