(The Center Square) – A new report from a nonprofit organization that ranks states by educational freedom found large differences between them based on their efforts to improve the school choices families have for their children.
The American Legislative Exchange Council’s Index of State Education Freedom, released Thursday, ranks states based on the school choice options and funding programs they offer students and their families.
Andrew Handel, director of ALEC’s education and workforce development task force and the report’s lead author, told The Center Square which states ranked at the top of the index and the bottom based on their education choice programs.
“The top five states are Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa,” Handel said. “It’s no surprise that all five states have universal eligibility programs.”
Handel said North Carolina jumped 23 spots on the index because it allowed 50,000 students to join its school choice program.
But other states fell on the organization’s index because of changes to their school choice programs.
“Kentucky fell 16 spots, down to 46,” Handel said. “The legislature had passed a tax-credit education savings account program, but the state’s Supreme Court struck it down. Without that program, they scored a 0 in the financing program category.”
“The bottom five states were Kentucky, Rhode Island, Oregon, Massachusetts and New York,” Handel said. “It’s interesting most states did fairly well in the charter school category.”
Handel said that was true even of New York, which was the only state with zeros in four of the five categories.
“Families don’t have access to those other choice options,” Handel said about the state.
Broadly, Handel said education freedom has flourished over the last several years. Handel also said it’s not coincidental that West Virginia launched its school choice program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s been a phenomenal couple of years for education freedom broadly,” Handel said. “Five years ago, we didn’t have any programs that were available to all students. Now we have a dozen states with those programs.”
Handel says the report is the only one that examines various factors affecting educational choice.
“The ALEC Index of State Education Freedom ranks each state based on the availability of various educational environments, including charter schools, homeschooling, virtual schools, and public schools (through open enrollment policies),” the report reads. “The index also examines the programs that each state has available to families and rates them based on how many families are able to take advantage of it and how much funding is provided.”
Handel said that the push for educational choices is about giving families options.
“There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution,” Handel said. “It’s not an attack on public schools. It’s impossible to be the best school for every kid.”
“We’re seeing this awesome trend toward empowering parents and making sure their kid is getting the best possible education,” Handel said.
• This story first published at Chalkboard News which, like The Center Square, is published by the Franklin News Foundation