Accessing opportunity: Children with disabilities, their families, and Education Savings Accounts

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Choice and Inequity: Family Agency and Structural Constraints in Education

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of families with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a form of school choice that allows families to “unbundle” the educational experience of their child by using per-pupil funds for school tuition, curriculum, or services. We draw upon interviews with 28 parents who have a child with a disability and who have participated in an ESA program in Arizona or Florida. Our interviews provide a nuanced perspective of how families use ESA funds, the challenges they face in doing so, and the ways family resources influence their use of the program. As ESAs expand in new states, this study offers critical insight to policy makers and practitioners seeking to ensure ESAs remain accessible.

Author

• Georgia Heyward, Virginia Commonwealth University