Study Finds School Choice Does Not Harm Student Outcomes in Wisconsin Public Schools

School choice programs in Wisconsin have not significantly affected outcomes for public school students or led to a decline in their test scores, according to a study released on Monday.

Will Flanders, research director at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, which commissioned the study alongside School Choice Wisconsin, told National Review that this finding goes directly against one of the main talking points of school choice opponents.

Instead of finding test scores in steep decline, the study saw small positive shifts in reading scores and no statistically significant effect on math scores.

Critics often argue that school choice not only diverts critical resources from public schools, but also that choice schools will “skim” the best students, leading to a group of students in public schools that is more challenging to educate. “We have a long track record of this program in Wisconsin and we have no evidence in support of that notion,” Flanders said.

Currently, 5.7 percent of students across the state are enrolled in private choice schools.

More From National Review: