AFC Responds to New Research from the Urban Institute Highlighting Longer-Term, Positive Effects of School Choice

The American Federation for Children (AFC) is celebrating a new research report from a trio of respected researchers (Matthew Chingos, David Figlio, and Krzysztof Karbonwnik) published at the Urban Institute, showing that students who attend private school through a school choice program have significantly better postsecondary outcomes, likelier both to attend and graduate from college. The report, The Effects of Ohio’s EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation, joins the growing list of empirical studies that demonstrate school choice improves academic outcomes, increases parental satisfaction, saves taxpayer money, and introduces competition to drive improvement for all schools.

Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO, American Federation for Children

“Another day, another incredible research report showing the powerful effects of school choice programs on improving long term outcomes for students. Researchers continue to confirm what parents already know: school choice works. This is another huge win for the data behind school choice coupled with the surging demand for educational options across our nation and another indication that we are embarking on the golden age in American education fueled by school choice.

We commend the team of Figlio, Chingos and Karbonwnik for their groundbreaking research and encourage our nation’s leaders in Congress to learn from these positive impacts and expand school choice across America this year by ensuring the Educational Choice for Children Act is in the budget reconciliation package.”

Statement from Patrick Graff, Director of Legislative Policy, the American Federation for Children:

“This study provides compelling evidence that the EdChoice program improves long-term educational attainment. It is difficult to overstate the significance of this study from one of the country’s earliest, large-scale voucher programs. The large positive effects of the EdChoice program on college going and graduation affirm that access to school choice was literally life-changing for some of the lowest-income students in Ohio. Beyond these participant effects, the authors corroborate another consistent finding in the school choice literature – that the competition this program induced also improved college outcomes for public school students. The families living these results give testament to why school choice is trending like never before. It is time to bring school choice to every state in America to ensure our nation’s students can thrive.”

Highlights from the report include:

• The EdChoice Scholarship program had large and lasting positive effects on the likelihood of participating students to enroll in college, attend a more selective institution, and attain a bachelor’s degree as compared to matched public school students. The longer the student participated, the larger the impact – indicating a potential dosage effect.
  • EdChoice students were more likely to enroll in college than students who remained in public school: 64% vs. 48%. ‘
  • Enrollment for EdChoice students at a four-year college outpaced their public school counterparts: 45% vs 30%.
  • Longer participation in EdChoice yielded greater benefits—students who remained in the program for at least four years were 44% more likely to enroll in college than their public school peers.
• EdChoice students were more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than their public school peers: 23% vs. 15%
  • The benefits were strongest for Black students (138% more likely), male students (86% more likely), and students who spent the most time in poverty during childhood (175% more likely).
• Public school students in schools facing greater competition from EdChoice saw meaningful gains in college enrollment and graduation rates, with some evidence that they attended more selective institutions.

About AFC:

The American Federation for Children is the nation’s largest school choice advocacy organization and the most successful force for education freedom in America, passing over 200 laws across 31 states throughout our history. Our affiliated Super PAC, AFC Victory Fund, is the only nationwide Super PAC focused on advancing school choice.