School Choice and Reading Development in Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eleven
  In Roundtable Session: Academic Experiences and Achievement in School Choice and Policy Reform Contexts (Table 1)

Abstract

In recent decades there has been a shift in the landscape of public schools and an increase in publicly funded schools of choice. Families seeking alternatives to traditional public education enroll in public schools of choice in higher numbers while Catholic school enrollment – long regarded as the primary traditional public alternative – has fallen. While parents make enrollment decisions for many reasons, belief in superior educational opportunities is a strong motivator. Using ECLS-K:2011 data, I examine the connection between academic growth and school type, specifically the relationship between school type and reading growth in children from different backgrounds. I find that school type does not have a positive effect on reading development when controlling for key demographic and academic characteristics.

Author

• Angela M. Cox, Vanderbilt University
  Presenting Author