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PARENT POWER!

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  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index

PARENT POWER!

  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index
Menu
  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index

PARENT POWER!

  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index
Menu
  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index

Arizona

U.S.
Rank

#2
Overall PPI Score:
93.5%
PPI Grade Key:
← Back to Arizona state overview
A
B
C
D
F
  • Opportunity
  • Innovation
  • Policy Environment

Charter Schools

Score:

92%

Grade:

A

Rank:

#1

The 2021-22 budget increased funding and the proportion of students in charter schools which have been innovatively creating new models of education, like microschools which appeal to a broader array of parents. Additional funding for charters is also still expected this session. Today, twenty-eight percent of public schools in Arizona are charter schools and roughly twenty percent of students are public charter school students.

Fast Facts:

Law passed: 1994

Most recently amended: 2022

Number of charter schools: 560

Number of charter students: 232,249

Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No

Virtual charters allowed? Yes

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: Universities, school districts, and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools can all authorize charter schools. The State Board is a strong authorizer that has historically respected schools’ autonomy and fostered growth. Currently, the only university authorizing charter schools is Arizona State University with 12 schools.

GROWTH: 18% of all students in Arizona attend a charter school, and over the past 10 years, charters have added approximately 10,000 students each year. There is no cap but authorizers do self-regulate approvals and opponents have been working hard  to control charter school growth. A bill that would have increased restrictions and non-essential regulations over charters nearly passed in 2019!

OPERATIONS: Like other high autonomy states, charters have a blanket waiver from all non-health and safety regulations that apply to traditional schools.

EQUITY: Arizona’s law calculates a base funding level for charter schools which is considered low and provides equal access to all applicable federal and state funding. Charter schools in Arizona receive $951 less per student than traditional public schools. Facilities funds are not available but in 2019 the state strengthened the ability for charters to use available public school facilities and purchase facilities directly from districts. 

Learn More:

About Arizona Charter Laws

Arizona Charter School Law

Arizona Charter Schools Association

Choice Programs (Scholarships, Vouchers, Tax Credits, etc.)

Score:

98%

Grade:

A

Rank:

#2

Thanks to the creation of a statewide program of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, Arizona is now home to the most comprehensive education opportunity environment in the U.S! At the beginning of the 2022 school year, Arizona’s five school choice programs were serving nearly 10% of all students whose families have opted to give their children the education of their choice. The recent eligibility expansion of the nation’s first universal ESA will increase those options as more parents learn about them, despite the best efforts of the teachers unions and other opponents to repeal the program. They failed on their first attempt, but they are not giving up. This milestone makes Arizona the top scoring state for parent power in the nation.

Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 1997-2012

Number of programs: 5

Statewide Participation: 98,833

Types of programs: Tax Credit Scholarship, Individual Tax Credit, Education Savings Account

Choice Laws & Analysis:

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Arizona – Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
This program, launched in 1997, allows taxpayers to receive tax credits for their donations to nonprofit organizations that provide school scholarships to K–12 students.

Tax-Credit Scholarship
“Switcher” Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Arizona’s “switcher” tax-credit scholarship program was enacted and launched in 2012. the program expanded eligibility for students receiving “switcher” individual or low-income corporate school tuition organization (STO) scholarships to include those who were homeschooled, moved from out of state, or held an ESA. The credit cap for contributions by corporations and insurers to School Tuition Organizations for Displaced/Disabled students was also increased in 2021 from $5 million to $6 million. Taxpayers who have donated the maximum credit amount for the Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program can then choose to participate in this program. Donors can receive 100% credit and it benefits students whose household income is between 185-342% of the federal poverty level. The law allows donors to receive tax credits for their donations to non-profit school tuition organizations that give scholarships to students in need. 

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Lexie’s Law for Disabled and Displaced Students Tax Credit Scholarship Program
The Arizona legislature enacted “Lexie’s Law” in 2009. The program, a tax-credit scholarship for students with special needs, launched in the same year. This program is the nation’s first tax credit scholarship program for students with special needs, eligibility is limited for students with special needs and students in foster care. The tax credit for donors who contribute is 100% and the program budget is capped at 5 million dollars.

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Arizona’s Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program passed in 2006, and it launched in the same year. This tax-credit scholarship program allows corporate taxpayers to receive 100% dollar-for-dollar tax credits for their donations to nonprofit organizations that provide school scholarships to K–12 students from low-income families. The Corporate Tuition Tax Credit Program is capped for FY 19-20 at $106.9M. 

Education Savings Account
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
In July of 2022, Governor Doug Ducey signed H.B. 2853 that expanded the state’s 2011 Empowerment Scholarship program for special needs students to all students in the state. Under the new law, the state’s 1.1. Million K-12 students are all eligible to receive between approximately $7,000 per year per student for private school, homeschooling, micro schools, tutoring, or any kind of educational service that helps meet the needs of their students outside the traditional public school system. As of September 2022, the Arizona Department of Education has received roughly 6,500 new applicants under the new ESA eligibility conditions. From 2012-2021, there had been incremental expansion of eligibility to the point where vouchers became available to foster children, children of military families, reservation residents and students who reside in boundaries of a school or district assigned a “D” or “F” letter grade. The new law – H.B. 2853 – scraps all preconditions, potentially allowing universal school vouchers to all of Arizona’s K-12 students.

Learn More:

EdChoice Analysis on Arizona

Federation for Children Choice Program Information

 2019 ALEC Report Card on American Education

Teacher Quality

Score:

68%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#35

Teacher prep programs not linked to student outcomes nor require content knowledge are some of AZ’s biggest deficiencies.

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 61%
General Teacher Preparation 78%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 55%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 55%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 60%  

STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 67%
Hiring 65%
Retaining Effective Teachers 69%

TEACHER EVALUATION: 79%

TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%

Learn More:

National Council for Teacher Quality State Teacher Policy Database

Charter Schools

Score:

92%

Grade:

A

Rank:

#1

The 2021-22 budget increased funding and the proportion of students in charter schools which have been innovatively creating new models of education, like microschools which appeal to a broader array of parents. Additional funding for charters is also still expected this session. Today, twenty-eight percent of public schools in Arizona are charter schools and roughly twenty percent of students are public charter school students.

Fast Facts:

Law passed: 1994

Most recently amended: 2022

Number of charter schools: 560

Number of charter students: 232,249

Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No

Virtual charters allowed? Yes

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: Universities, school districts, and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools can all authorize charter schools. The State Board is a strong authorizer that has historically respected schools’ autonomy and fostered growth. Currently, the only university authorizing charter schools is Arizona State University with 12 schools.

GROWTH: 18% of all students in Arizona attend a charter school, and over the past 10 years, charters have added approximately 10,000 students each year. There is no cap but authorizers do self-regulate approvals and opponents have been working hard  to control charter school growth. A bill that would have increased restrictions and non-essential regulations over charters nearly passed in 2019!

OPERATIONS: Like other high autonomy states, charters have a blanket waiver from all non-health and safety regulations that apply to traditional schools.

EQUITY: Arizona’s law calculates a base funding level for charter schools which is considered low and provides equal access to all applicable federal and state funding. Charter schools in Arizona receive $951 less per student than traditional public schools. Facilities funds are not available but in 2019 the state strengthened the ability for charters to use available public school facilities and purchase facilities directly from districts. 

Learn More:

About Arizona Charter Laws

Arizona Charter School Law

Arizona Charter Schools Association

Choice Programs (Scholarships, Vouchers, Tax Credits, etc.)

Score:

98%

Grade:

A

Rank:

#2

Thanks to the creation of a statewide program of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, Arizona is now home to the most comprehensive education opportunity environment in the U.S! At the beginning of the 2022 school year, Arizona’s five school choice programs were serving nearly 10% of all students whose families have opted to give their children the education of their choice. The recent eligibility expansion of the nation’s first universal ESA will increase those options as more parents learn about them, despite the best efforts of the teachers unions and other opponents to repeal the program. They failed on their first attempt, but they are not giving up. This milestone makes Arizona the top scoring state for parent power in the nation.

Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 1997-2012

Number of programs: 5

Statewide Participation: 98,833

Types of programs: Tax Credit Scholarship, Individual Tax Credit, Education Savings Account

Choice Laws & Analysis:

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Arizona – Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
This program, launched in 1997, allows taxpayers to receive tax credits for their donations to nonprofit organizations that provide school scholarships to K–12 students.

Tax-Credit Scholarship
“Switcher” Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Arizona’s “switcher” tax-credit scholarship program was enacted and launched in 2012. the program expanded eligibility for students receiving “switcher” individual or low-income corporate school tuition organization (STO) scholarships to include those who were homeschooled, moved from out of state, or held an ESA. The credit cap for contributions by corporations and insurers to School Tuition Organizations for Displaced/Disabled students was also increased in 2021 from $5 million to $6 million. Taxpayers who have donated the maximum credit amount for the Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program can then choose to participate in this program. Donors can receive 100% credit and it benefits students whose household income is between 185-342% of the federal poverty level. The law allows donors to receive tax credits for their donations to non-profit school tuition organizations that give scholarships to students in need. 

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Lexie’s Law for Disabled and Displaced Students Tax Credit Scholarship Program
The Arizona legislature enacted “Lexie’s Law” in 2009. The program, a tax-credit scholarship for students with special needs, launched in the same year. This program is the nation’s first tax credit scholarship program for students with special needs, eligibility is limited for students with special needs and students in foster care. The tax credit for donors who contribute is 100% and the program budget is capped at 5 million dollars.

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Arizona’s Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program passed in 2006, and it launched in the same year. This tax-credit scholarship program allows corporate taxpayers to receive 100% dollar-for-dollar tax credits for their donations to nonprofit organizations that provide school scholarships to K–12 students from low-income families. The Corporate Tuition Tax Credit Program is capped for FY 19-20 at $106.9M. 

Education Savings Account
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
In July of 2022, Governor Doug Ducey signed H.B. 2853 that expanded the state’s 2011 Empowerment Scholarship program for special needs students to all students in the state. Under the new law, the state’s 1.1. Million K-12 students are all eligible to receive between approximately $7,000 per year per student for private school, homeschooling, micro schools, tutoring, or any kind of educational service that helps meet the needs of their students outside the traditional public school system. As of September 2022, the Arizona Department of Education has received roughly 6,500 new applicants under the new ESA eligibility conditions. From 2012-2021, there had been incremental expansion of eligibility to the point where vouchers became available to foster children, children of military families, reservation residents and students who reside in boundaries of a school or district assigned a “D” or “F” letter grade. The new law – H.B. 2853 – scraps all preconditions, potentially allowing universal school vouchers to all of Arizona’s K-12 students.

Learn More:

EdChoice Analysis on Arizona

Federation for Children Choice Program Information

 2019 ALEC Report Card on American Education

Teacher Quality

Score:

68%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#35

Teacher prep programs not linked to student outcomes nor require content knowledge are some of AZ’s biggest deficiencies.

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 61%
General Teacher Preparation 78%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 55%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 55%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 60%  

STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 67%
Hiring 65%
Retaining Effective Teachers 69%

TEACHER EVALUATION: 79%

TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%

Learn More:

National Council for Teacher Quality State Teacher Policy Database

Digital & Personalized Learning

Digital Learning:

Score:

85%

Grade:

B

Rank:

#3

Arizona is home to many high quality digital learning schools and programs across charters and districts, such as Phoenix Union District, ASU Digital Prep, Arizona Virtual Academy, and Sunnyside Unified School District.

Arizona has Education Technology Standards for students based on grade level, and the state  provides teachers multiple resources to integrate technology into the classroom, as well as resources for mobile learning and digital learning. 

Arizona also has the law, Title IV-A , that helps teachers and schools with online learning, more information can be found here. 

Bandwidth: “96.1% of students in Arizona can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 36,255 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”

Personalized Learning:

In Arizona, there exists an abundant amount of personalized learning activity, but it is not backed by a full state effort. Many leading charters and some innovative districts are exemplars in personalized learning.

Arizona has a proficiency based diploma, the Grand Canyon Diploma, where “Advancement is based on mastery, not seat time. Students advance when they demonstrate competency. Students who show they are college-ready in English, mathematics, science, history and the arts earn the Grand Canyon High School Diploma.  Students must prove in-depth learning on curriculum-based exams in each of these subject areas, demonstrating skills with writing, analysis, and problem-solving.”

Learn More:

Education Technology Standards

Title IV-A

Grand Canyon Diploma

COVID-19 Response

On March 10th, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona set a statewide expectation of remote learning for all students. The Governor announced March 30 that schools were closed for the remainder of the school year, and schools and teachers were encouraged to continue providing educational opportunities to the best of their ability. Compared to most states, Arizona was ahead of the curve in beginning to plan for remote learning when it was announced school closures would last through the end of the school year. LEAs were asked to submit their own Remote Learning Opportunity Plan to the state by April 15 but many had already started on their own.

The state also has provided a page with resources for teachers, schools, students, and parents.

After convening a task force to discuss reopening school for the 2020-21 school year, the superintendent of public instruction released a Roadmap for Reopening Schools.

June 25, Gov. Ducey announced a new order giving schools the flexibility to offer hybrid options without major financial penalties or compliance with complex procurement rules for COVID-19-related purchases, along with a $269 million funding package developed with input from district superintendents and school leaders. Due to rising cases in Arizona, Governor Ducey delayed the reopening of schools until Aug. 17th, when districts could begin in-person instruction if local health authorities agreed. Districts opting for full-time distance learning are required to offer “free on-site learning opportunities” for students who need it for supervision during the day or other support.

Additionally, Arizona State University, a national leader in innovation compiled a comprehensive list of excellent digital learning resources for students in the wake of COVID-19.

Fast Facts

4th Grade Math Proficiency:

33%

8th Grade Math Proficiency:

24%

12th Grade Math Proficiency:

24% (nat'l average)

4th Grade Reading Proficiency:

31%

8th Grade Reading Proficiency:

28%

12th Grade Reading Proficiency:

37% (nat'l average)

Graduation Rate:

78%

Average SAT Score:

1159/1600

Average ACT Score:

18.4/36

Public School Enrollment:

1,133,284

Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:

18.7%

Average Student Funding:

$8,785.00
Digital & Personalized Learning
Digital Learning:

Score:

85%

Grade:

B

Rank:

#3

Arizona is home to many high quality digital learning schools and programs across charters and districts, such as Phoenix Union District, ASU Digital Prep, Arizona Virtual Academy, and Sunnyside Unified School District.

Arizona has Education Technology Standards for students based on grade level, and the state  provides teachers multiple resources to integrate technology into the classroom, as well as resources for mobile learning and digital learning. 

Arizona also has the law, Title IV-A , that helps teachers and schools with online learning, more information can be found here. 

Bandwidth: “96.1% of students in Arizona can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 36,255 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”

Personalized Learning:

In Arizona, there exists an abundant amount of personalized learning activity, but it is not backed by a full state effort. Many leading charters and some innovative districts are exemplars in personalized learning.

Arizona has a proficiency based diploma, the Grand Canyon Diploma, where “Advancement is based on mastery, not seat time. Students advance when they demonstrate competency. Students who show they are college-ready in English, mathematics, science, history and the arts earn the Grand Canyon High School Diploma.  Students must prove in-depth learning on curriculum-based exams in each of these subject areas, demonstrating skills with writing, analysis, and problem-solving.”

Learn More:

Education Technology Standards

Title IV-A

Grand Canyon Diploma

COVID-19 Response

On March 10th, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona set a statewide expectation of remote learning for all students. The Governor announced March 30 that schools were closed for the remainder of the school year, and schools and teachers were encouraged to continue providing educational opportunities to the best of their ability. Compared to most states, Arizona was ahead of the curve in beginning to plan for remote learning when it was announced school closures would last through the end of the school year. LEAs were asked to submit their own Remote Learning Opportunity Plan to the state by April 15 but many had already started on their own.

The state also has provided a page with resources for teachers, schools, students, and parents.

After convening a task force to discuss reopening school for the 2020-21 school year, the superintendent of public instruction released a Roadmap for Reopening Schools.

June 25, Gov. Ducey announced a new order giving schools the flexibility to offer hybrid options without major financial penalties or compliance with complex procurement rules for COVID-19-related purchases, along with a $269 million funding package developed with input from district superintendents and school leaders. Due to rising cases in Arizona, Governor Ducey delayed the reopening of schools until Aug. 17th, when districts could begin in-person instruction if local health authorities agreed. Districts opting for full-time distance learning are required to offer “free on-site learning opportunities” for students who need it for supervision during the day or other support.

Additionally, Arizona State University, a national leader in innovation compiled a comprehensive list of excellent digital learning resources for students in the wake of COVID-19.

Fast Facts

4th Grade Math Proficiency:

33%

8th Grade Math Proficiency:

24%

12th Grade Math Proficiency:

24% (nat’l average)

4th Grade Reading Proficiency:

31%

8th Grade Reading Proficiency:

28%

12th Grade Reading Proficiency:

37% (nat’l average)

Graduation Rate:

78%

Average SAT Score:

1159/1600

Average ACT Score:

18.4/36

Public School Enrollment:

1,133,284

Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:

18.7%

Average Student Funding:

$8,785.00

Leadership

Your governor:

Katie Hobbs (D)

First term began in 2023 (two-term limit, for a maximum of eight years)

Katie Hobbs had a strong teachers union backing to clinch the job and is the first Democrat to hold the office for Arizona since 2009. This has some concerned that the state’s phenomenal progress on education choice may suffer but we’re hopeful bi-partisanship will win the day and that Governor Hobbs understands that parent power is in full gear  in Arizona and needs to be protected and advanced. 

State Legislature:

A very pro-education freedom State Superintendent Thomas Horne once again will serve in this position, winning over teachers union-based Kathy Hoffman in an incredibly tight race.  His presence may just help the pro-education freedom legislature counterbalance any negative efforts the new Governor might wage. 

Constitutional Issues

“Arizona’s constitution contains a Blaine Amendment. The Arizona Supreme Court previously struck down a voucher program. However, that Court later let stand a Court of Appeals decision upholding the Empowerment Scholarship Account program.” (Institute for Justice)

Learn More:

Institute for Justice: Arizona School Choice and State Constitution

Transparency

Arizona’s commitment to transparency is clear, and this is a benefit to students and families. School report cards are highlighted on the main page of the state DOE website. Report card data is thorough and comprehensive, and every school is assigned a summative rating based on student academic measures.The report includes important data such as student enrollment, teacher qualification, student achievement, and per pupil expenditures.There is also a helpful feature to compare schools so parents can see how theirs lines up against others in the state. Information about educational options are also easily accessible from the homepage.

Arizona holds school board elections during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.

Leadership
Your governor:

Katie Hobbs (D)

First term began in 2023 (two-term limit, for a maximum of eight years)

Katie Hobbs had a strong teachers union backing to clinch the job and is the first Democrat to hold the office for Arizona since 2009. This has some concerned that the state’s phenomenal progress on education choice may suffer but we’re hopeful bi-partisanship will win the day and that Governor Hobbs understands that parent power is in full gear  in Arizona and needs to be protected and advanced. 

State Legislature:

A very pro-education freedom State Superintendent Thomas Horne once again will serve in this position, winning over teachers union-based Kathy Hoffman in an incredibly tight race.  His presence may just help the pro-education freedom legislature counterbalance any negative efforts the new Governor might wage. 

Constitutional Issues

“Arizona’s constitution contains a Blaine Amendment. The Arizona Supreme Court previously struck down a voucher program. However, that Court later let stand a Court of Appeals decision upholding the Empowerment Scholarship Account program.” (Institute for Justice)

Learn More:

Institute for Justice: Arizona School Choice and State Constitution

Transparency

Arizona’s commitment to transparency is clear, and this is a benefit to students and families. School report cards are highlighted on the main page of the state DOE website. Report card data is thorough and comprehensive, and every school is assigned a summative rating based on student academic measures.The report includes important data such as student enrollment, teacher qualification, student achievement, and per pupil expenditures.There is also a helpful feature to compare schools so parents can see how theirs lines up against others in the state. Information about educational options are also easily accessible from the homepage.

Arizona holds school board elections during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.

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Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools, open by choice, free from most rules and regulations that hamper traditional public schools and held accountable for results.

Since 1991, when charter schools were first established in Minnesota, the principle has remained the same — increased operational autonomy in exchange for increased accountability for outcomes. This freedom to innovate allows academically excellent charter schools to flourish.

As of 2020, there were more than 7,300 charter schools across the country with more than 3.3 million students, with demand higher everywhere they are located. Forty-six states, including Washington, D.C. have charter school laws. West Virginia enacted the most recent law in 2019. All charter laws are not created equal, however, and in fact, many are so flawed that they allow for only minimal opportunity for parents. PPI draws from CER’s newest Charter School Law Rankings and Scorecard, produced in the summer of 2020. For the US as a whole, the glass is more empty than full when it comes to meaningful charter choices.

Since 1996, CER has researched, analyzed, and ranked charter school laws, taking the content of each law into consideration as well as how it impacts charter schools on the ground. This Parent Power Index looks at four main areas of each state’s law:

If it allows for multiple authorizers, and if applicants have the ability to appeal a denial; whether it allows for growth, particularly with no caps on number of schools or enrollment; if schools and teachers have freedom to innovate; and if there is equitable funding of schools, including for facilities and transportation.

Charter schools are the most analyzed public school reform in decades. Since 1996, CER has studied their impact, their environment, and their practice and made recommendations for how to improve each law. The Parent Power Index charter score is based on whether the law allows for freedom and flexibility that can ensure parents, teachers and the general public are able to build vibrant, successful charter schools without undue interference from flawed state regulators, with equitable funding and parents in the driver’s seat. More about how this works can be found in CER publications, most notably Charting a New Course and The Future of School.

In addition, past rankings document how states have grown or confined charter schools and what best practices should be followed. Finally CER has provided a model charter school law for policymakers that is the standard bearer for advocates who believe that parents, not systems, should drive education.

Choice Programs

Educational choice is best defined as the availability of a multitude of public programs that provide parents with the ability to include private and religious entities – schools, tutoring, and other organizations – in their choices. Those programs are enacted at the state level, allowing in a wide variety of ways that the funds allocated for education in a state either follow the student to the institution the parent chooses or, as in the case of tax credits, public funds are redistributed to support the choices parents make, rather than automatically going to government based school districts.

These options are often referred to as scholarship programs, vouchers, tax credits, education accounts and more.

The existence of a higher degree of educational choice in a community or state, particularly for lower income students, has been found to be a significant factor in improving education and ensuring all students have access to the best school that meets their individual needs. Where once private options were only available to the more advantaged, most choice programs today ensure that those without resources have the power to shape their student’s education and invest in their future.

PPI 2020 assesses the extent to which every state gives families better and more abundant educational options through various mechanisms. Choice programs are analyzed and evaluated on their potential to reach all children across a state and for the degree to which they can actually support the full choice of parents, as opposed to only providing a modest amount of financial support. Programs where a significant population of parents can obtain scholarships or vouchers to send their children to the school of their choice score higher than those that have limitations based on geography, income, and student eligibility constraints.

To determine scores, PPI relies on well-established organizations which study, advance and support such programs. The scores were developed with this lens, and on information and ratings from EdChoice’s School Choice in America Dashboard, American Legislative Exchange Council’s Report Card on American Education: 23rd Edition, and American Federation for Children’s School Choice Interactive Map.

Teacher Quality

Teacher Quality is an equally important facet of ensuring greater educational opportunity. There is a direct correlation between quality teachers and student achievement, and teachers have the power to foster highly effective learning environments and leave a lasting impact on the future of their students. State teacher policies are critical in ensuring that students have the opportunity to receive the best education possible. Without schools full of well-prepared teachers who are held accountable either directly to the parent or to taxpayers for student achievement, opportunity can be meaningless. Most states vary widely in the criteria used to train, hire, retain, evaluate, reward and advance teachers, and local rules also influence that criteria greatly, as do teachers unions. PPI looked again to the expert analysis of the National Council of Teacher Quality, and from several aspects of their work PPI extrapolated final teacher quality scores. (NCTQ does not grade each state.)

Relying solely on the rich data collected from the National Council on Teacher Quality, states are measured by across a wide range of policy categories: Training and Recruitment, Staffing and Support, Evaluation, and Compensation. The score is by no means comprehensive about teacher quality across every community and state, but it is based on the extent to which states rigorously expect, manage and measure different aspects of teacher training, hiring, evaluation and compensation. States score higher when they have strong, data-driven, performance-based accountability systems that ensure teachers are rewarded, retained, and advanced based on their effectiveness. Likewise, states that establish rigorous teacher preparation programs and offer alternative licensing programs earn higher scores.

For more information about the Teacher Quality landscape, please see the National Council on Teacher Quality’s detailed analysis in their State Teacher Policy Database.

Innovation

States are measured on their increasing commitment to and practice of innovative approaches to education that include digital learning models and pathways, full or in part, encouraging personalized learning through focus on competency and mastery – even on a pilot level – or by allowing flexibility in schools and school districts that want to do it. Personalized learning models value mastery of material over traditional subject matter time tests, and competency over end of course grades. While these practices are best decided locally, closest to the student, states can motivate, incentivize, fund, discourage or encourage.

To determine scores, the PPI drew heavily from ExcelinEd’s 2019 State Progress Toward Next Generation Learning, Aurora Institute’s 2020 Future-Focused State Policy Actions to Transform K-12 Education, and KnowledgeWorks’ 2019 State Policy Framework for Personalized Learning.

COVID-19 Response

When COVID-19 reached our shores in early 2020, states were forced to close their schools for in-person instruction. Whether and how to continue teaching and set expectations for continued learning outside of the classroom was a big debate. Many states and schools quickly pivoted to delivering education remotely, either through technology enabled tools or with low-tech paper packets and phone calls, or a combination of both. The response from schools and school districts varied widely, with some being willing to adapt and some actually discouraging both teaching and learning. CER tracked those responses (and continues to do so, given the fluidity of the situation). States that were encouraging, set expectations, and demanded that schools figure out whatever they could to keep moving students forward, tended to have more schools and districts that responded well and worked to deliver education regardless of challenges. Many states that had digital or virtual learning programs in place were able to make a more seamless shift. Innovative leaders at local and state levels rose to the occasion. But many states and localities dragged their feet and, in some cases, outright discouraged schooling to keep going, including forbidding teachers in some areas to be required to do any face to face teaching via technology.

States were evaluated based on reviewing their official notices and declarations, and by reviewing a broad array of surveys and data many groups have been maintaining. This score also factors in states’ prior commitments to expanding broadband and internet access and how they worked to provide devices to keep students learning and engaged.

What was, and is, a challenging and unprecedented time for schools, teachers, and parents was also an opportunity to look at states’ and schools’ abilities to adapt, be flexible, and innovate.

For more on Education Innovation, check out the CER ACTION Series:

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Leadership

Improving education opportunity and innovation requires leaders who boldly and courageously push forward to create or expand successful programs that allow a wide variety of educational choice and individualized programs to thrive. Governors and state legislators are the most important entities in each state to pave the way, or deter, expanded parent power. Some leaders pay lip service to issues, while others wake up with a fire in their belly to ensure that they are doing what they can every day to push through conventional wisdom and demand 21st century schooling opportunities for all students.

Whether or not your governor is the bold, fire-in-the-belly kind, or a passive applauder of others’ efforts, is evaluated to help you push or prod or applaud. PPI looks at their positions AND actions on charter schools, choice programs, innovation, and commitment to increasing educational opportunities for all students at every level and summarizes it for you here. You have the power to elect leaders who prioritize parents and students!

Constitutional Issues

The ability for states to enact educational change can be significantly limited depending on certain provisions in state constitutions.

The most common clause that limits educational opportunity in most states are “Blaine Amendments” – named after 19th century Congressman James Blaine nearly 150 years ago. Historically, these provisions in 37 state constitutions were either interpreted to restrict educational choice programs that include private schools or have been a deterrent for many programs being considered, let alone enacted.

This issue received a great deal of press leading up to and following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 30, 2020 decision in the case of Espinoza vs Montana Department of Revenue, a case that dealt with Montana’s Blaine Amendment. That landmark decision found that the U.S. Constitution “forbids states from excluding religious schools as options for families participating in educational choice programs, including through Blaine Amendments.”

As a result, most states have a new path to enact programs that provide options for families, including religious schools. Their individual versions of Blaine Amendments can either be nullified with attorney generals’ opinions, with legislation or with both. Additional restrictions on expanded opportunity are often dedicated by what is called a Compelled Support Clause where dated constitutional language restricts public funding to government entities.

We look at each state’s particular constitutional issues, utilizing a number of sources, CER attorney analysis and the Institute for Justice’s research as our guide. Additional information about Espinoza and Blaine Amendments can be found here.

In addition, if states have other constitutional barriers to more opportunity, they are evaluated in this area.

Transparency

Transparency is a key element of providing great opportunities for students. Every parent needs and deserves full transparency of school-level data to allow them to make informed decisions and drive changes in how their students are educated. School report cards empower parents in their decision making by giving them access to meaningful and quality education data about a particular school or district. Report cards often provide information on student performance, student growth, attendance, graduation rates, demographics, teacher quality, school environment, assessments, and more. States that have greater transparency and accountability provide the public with data that is current, readily available, and easy to understand.

States are measured based on the transparency and accessibility of data for the average person looking to learn about their child’s school. States have more gas in the tank when school report cards are easily accessible from their state DOE homepage; report cards are comprehensive, user-friendly, and easy to understand; and information about educational options are readily available. Additionally, states score higher when they hold School Board Elections during the General Election cycle, as opposed to off-times of the year when turnout is low, because this tends to afford parents more power in their decision-making.