要約

In many settings, the issue of publicly funded vouchers for students is being discussed. This article presents the results of evaluating test data from students living within the city boundaries of Cleveland, Ohio. In Cleveland, a limited number of low-socioeconomic status students can receive publicly funded vouchers. Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate techniques. The results suggest that (a) students who did not return to the scholarship program from third to fourth grade exhibited lower achievement levels than those who remained in the program, (b) scholarship students who continued in the scholarship program from third to fourth grade continue to be very much like their public school counterparts, and (c) the effects of the program on scholarship students’ academic performance are slightly positive but are mediated by the schools they attend. This study is important because vouchers may or may not provide a mechanism by which the participation of underrepresented groups in science and mathematics can be increased.