Most ESA programs have flexible assessment requirements, and testing results are largely informational with only West Virginia imposing explicit performance benchmarks¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The statutes of 14 of the ESA programs require some state or national norm-referenced assessment, with several states letting families choose between exam types and students with disabilities often exempt. → Berry 2024 q2 i? Only one state, West Virginia, has explicit academic benchmarks recipients must meet as a requirement of use; testing results elsewhere largely serve informative purposes. → Berry 2024 (2)

Evidence¶

Berry 2024¶

Berry, W. & Chait, R. (2024). Education savings accounts and accountability: A landscape analysis across states. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED663763

q2 · i? · review · r2

Analysis of the 15 ESA state statutes finds "14 of the ESA programs" require some assessment. Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and West Virginia let families choose between state and norm-referenced exams, and several states allow IEP-based exemptions or alternative assessments for students with disabilities.

"The state statutes of 14 of the ESA programs have some sort of requirement for recipients to take a state or national norm-referenced assessment to provide families with information on student learning."

Berry 2024 (2)¶

Berry, W. & Chait, R. (2024). Education savings accounts and accountability: A landscape analysis across states. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED663763

q2 · i? · review · r2

Statute analysis reports that assessment requirements are designed to inform parents and the public rather than impose consequences, and that "only one state, West Virginia," sets explicit benchmarks (scoring at least within or above the 4th stanine or demonstrating growth). Florida, Iowa, South Carolina, and Tennessee require schools to report results to parents.

"There is only one state, West Virginia, that has explicit benchmarks that recipients must meet as a requirement of use"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Most ESA statutes require data collection and public reporting, and many states publish annual report data beyond statutory requirements — related
• All ESA statutes list allowable uses of funds, but only 3 of 15 detail prohibited uses, and nearly all call for audits — related
• ESA programs have grown rapidly, serving over 326,400 students across 13 states as of the 2023/24 school year — related