Retain, strengthen, and improve statewide choice options, with urgent state action on information, oversight, and funding equity¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report's central recommendation is that Minnesota "retain, strengthen and improve our choice options" rather than retreat from them. It pairs this with specific state actions: provide more information to families, improve supervision and examination procedures for alternative schools, refine charter sponsorship and oversight procedures, examine equity of funding among public school options, and promote more information exchange among schools. It warns that without such modifications, state money will not be spent effectively and students will suffer.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Continued state leadership to modify and improve the choice laws

Constraints¶

• Some needed modifications do not involve spending more money, but failure to act means state money will not be spent effectively and students will suffer

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in Minnesota, including at-risk secondary students and postsecondary-enrolling juniors and seniors

Target Learning Goals¶

• Expanding access to educational settings suited to individual student needs, including individualized academics and workforce preparation

Related Strategies¶

• State policymakers should pair any choice expansion with quality controls, equitable access safeguards, integration management, and research and evaluation requirements
• State policymakers should strengthen their own oversight capacity as accreditors' watchdog role weakens

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Boyd, William Lowe; Hare, Debra; Nathan, Joe. (2002). What Really Happened? Minnesota's Experience with Statewide Public School Choice Programs. Center for School Change, University of Minnesota. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED480198