Fact sheet on new school choice study from Urban Institute

Urban Institute Study Facts:
This is the first study that has measured the long-term education outcomes for students in a private school choice program at the statewide level. The program that Dr. Chingos of the Urban Institute studied is the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC).
See the full study here: http://urbn.is/2k1pJvh.
The results are clear: The Florida school choice program significantly increases college matriculation, especially when students were enrolled in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program for a longer period of time. 

• On average, the FTC increases college enrollment by 15 percent compared to public school students who did not receive a scholarship. 

1. a) If a student stays in a private school via the FTC for two years, college enrollment increases by 9-14 percent compared to public school students.
2. b) If a student stays in a private school via the FTC for three years, college enrollment increases by 19-25 percent compared to public school students.
3. c) If a student stays in a private school via the FTC for four years or more, college enrollment increases by 37-43 percent compared to public school students.

• If students received a scholarship from the FTC in grades 3-7, and stayed in the program for four years or more, they saw modest improvements in associate degree attainment rates.

“Enrollment effects are concentrated at two-year colleges, but for students who entered FTC in elementary or middle school, there is a positive impact on four-year college enrollment of 0.9 percentage points (15 percent) after three years of participation and 1.5 percentage points (25 percent) after four or more years.” (p.20)
And this data only looked at Florida public college enrollment rates – it did not examine out-of-state college or private college enrollment due to lack of available data. Dr. Chingos asserts (p. 11) that other national data suggests then that these enrollment rates could be conservative.
+++
U.S. News and World Report: “Study: School Choice Program in Florida Boosts College Enrollment” http://bit.ly/2k2THPF
Step Up for Students: “Study: FL private school choice students more likely to get to college, get degrees” http://bit.ly/2hA7VCO
+++
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Facts: 

• The program started in 2001 and 102,000 students are currently enrolled – the largest private school choice program in the country.
• Of those currently enrolled, 68 percent of the students are Black or Hispanic, the average family income for students in the program is $25,000, and research shows they were some of the worst-performing students at their previous public school.
• All reports show the program saves the state money. The most definitive study, by the nonpartisan Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, found in 2008 that the state saves $1.49 for every $1 lost in revenue. The Florida Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference projected that the scholarship saved the state $57.9 million in 2012-13.
• Research also shows that the program helps academic performance of the public schools.