By Gary W. Houchens & John Garen

Cherry picking research studies to defend a particular point of view is a disreputable approach. However, it appears that a defender of the education establishment has done so, apparently to discredit the idea that every family might get to choose how their own children are educated. .

In a recent commentary, John Schaaf argues that research on voucher programs from Indiana and Ohio proves that school choice is bad for kids. Presumably, Schaaf wants to convince lawmakers to oppose a proposed state constitutional amendment to empower parents to make critical educational choices for their children.

The first thing to note is that there is no current proposal to set  up a “voucher program” in Kentucky. The bills under consideration would simply give voters the opportunity to decide if the state legislature should be allowed to establish a wide range of programs to empower families to secure education opportunities outside of traditional public schools. Those programs might involve a voucher, but they could also include charter schools, education savings accounts to pay for tutoring and other customized educational services, or scholarship tax credits. Every single state that borders Kentucky has one or more of these kinds of programs, but not all are voucher systems like Indiana’s or Ohio’s.

Schaaf rests his entire argument on two studies from Indiana (in 2018) and Ohio (in 2016) that found that low-income students who participated in those states’ voucher programs tended to have lower math scores than their demographically similar peers who stayed in public schools. Schaaf fails to note that these studies are outliers in the larger body of research on private school choice programs.

A 2022 survey of existing research by EdChoice found that of 17 studies on the impact of private school access programs on student achievement, 11 found positive results, four studies found there was no effect, and only three showed negative effects on student test scores (two of which were the Indiana and Ohio studies noted by Schaaf).

Furthermore, five of seven studies show that education choice programs have a positive impact on educational attainment (high school graduation, college attendance, etc.), and an overwhelming 30 out of 32 studies show that parents experience significant improvements in their satisfaction with their child’s schooling experience when they utilize choice opportunities.

Accidentally or intentionally, Schaaf seems to have avoided entirely the bulk of evidence regarding school choice and educational attainment. That evidence points to the effectiveness of parental choice at driving increased achievement and parental satisfaction.

A school choice constitutional amendment in Kentucky serves a very simple purpose: Every family, no matter their income or zip code, should be able to choose the learning environment that is the best fit for their child. While improving a student’s score on a state standardized test is noteworthy, it is not the number one priority for most parents when they choose a school. Parents care about things like school safety, a positive culture, disciplinary practices, and the values advanced by the school. It is not up to us, or to John Schaaf or any other defender of the status quo, to decide which school is best for someone else’s children.

Even the Indiana and Ohio studies’ overall results support the arguments for expanding education freedom. The enemies of giving families options constantly claim that education choice will devastate public schools. But the Indiana and Ohio studies clearly show that achievement among low-income students in public schools is not damaged by school choice. In fact, the authors of the Ohio study speculate that competition with private schools actually improved student learning outcomes in public schools.

The various defenders of the education establishment miss the point that your tax dollars are not meant to benefit the public school system, but rather students themselves. Education freedom means that we should start treating education like other public goods where the beneficiary (in this case, families) gets to choose their provider (schools of various kinds).

Kentucky’s school choice constitutional amendment gets us one step closer to funding students, not systems. Let your lawmakers know Kentucky families are tired of waiting.

Gary W. Houchens, Ph.D., is professor of education administration in the School of Leadership and Professional Studies at Western Kentucky University. John Garen, Ph.D., is BB&T professor emeritus of economics at the University of Kentucky. Both are Bluegrass Institute Scholars.