The School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP) is an educational research project based within the University of Arkansas’ Department of Education Reform. The national team of researchers, institutional research partners, and staff of the SCDP are devoted to the rigorous and unbiased evaluation of school choice programs and other school improvement efforts across the country.
The SCDP is committed to raising and advancing the public’s understanding of the strengths and limitations of school choice policies and programs.
Please also find these great reports on the School Choice Demonstration Project website.
Reports from 2023
Charter School Funding Disparities: Los Angeles, California, Alison Heape Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Larry D. Maloney, and Jay F. May
Charter School Funding: Little Progress Towards Equity in the City, Alison Heape Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney
Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities, Alison H. Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney
Reports from 2022
Charter School Funding Inequities: Rochester, New York, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, and Larry D. Maloney
Reports from 2021
Making it Count: The Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Seven U.S. Cities, Corey A. DeAngelis, Patrick J. Wolf, Cassidy Syftestad, Larry D. Maloney, and Jay F. May
Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, & Nonpublic Dollars, Angela K. Dills, Patrick J. Wolf, Corey A. DeAngelis, Jay F. May, Larry D. Maloney, and Cassidy Syftestad
Charter School Funding: Support for Students with Disabilities, Cassidy Syftestad, Patrick J. Wolf, Wendy Tucker, and Lauren Morando Rhim
Education Freedom and Student Achievement: Is More School Choice Associated with Higher State-Level Performance on the NAEP?, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay P. Greene, Matthew Ladner, and James D. Paul
Reports from 2020
Charter School Funding: Inequity Surges in the Cities, Corey A. DeAngelis, Patrick Wolf, Larry Maloney, and Jay F. May
Reports from 2019
A Good Investment: The Updated Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Eight U.S. Cities, Corey A. DeAngelis, Patrick J. Wolf, Larry D. Maloney, and Jay F. May
The Effects of Regulations on Private School Choice Program Participation: Experimental Evidence from California and New York, Corey DeAngelis, Lindsey Burke, and Patrick J. Wolf
Private School Choice and Character: More Evidence from Milwaukee, Corey DeAngelis and Patrick J. Wolf
A Good Investment: The Updated Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Eight U.S. Cities, Corey DeAngelis; Patrick J, Wolf; Larry Maloney; and Jay May
The Effect of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on College Entrance, Heidi Holmes Erickson, Jonathan Mills, and Patrick J. Wolf
The Effects of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on Student Achievement after Four Years, Jonathan Mills and Patrick J. Wolf
Do You Get Cream with Your Choice? Characteristics of Students Who Moved into or Out of the Louisiana Scholarship Program, Yujie Sude and Patrick J. Wolf
Heterogeneous Impacts Across Schools in the First Four Years of the Louisiana Scholarship Program, Patrick J. Wolf
How has the Louisiana Scholarship Program Affected Students? A Comprehensive Summary of Effects after Four Years, Patrick J. Wolf, Jonathan N. Mills, Yujie Sude, Heidi H. Erickson, and Matthew L. Lee
Reports from 2018
Bigger Bang, Fewer Bucks? The Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Eight U.S. Cities, Corey A. DeAngelis, Patrick J. Wolf, Larry D. Maloney, and Jay F. May
Charter School Funding: (More) Inequity in the City, Corey A. DeAngelis, Patrick J. Wolf, Larry D. Maloney, and Jay F. May
Publications from 2017
Evaluating School Vouchers: Evidence from a Within-Study Comparison, Kaitlin P. Anderson and Patrick J. Wolf
“School Vouchers: Friend or Foe?”, Cynthia G. Brown, Howard Fuller, Helen F. Ladd, and Patrick J. Wolf
Charter School Funding: Inequity in New York City, Larry D. Maloney and Patrick J. Wolf
How has the Louisiana Scholarship Program Affected students? A Comprehensive Summary of Effects After Three Years, Jonathan N. Mills and Patrick J. Wolf
The Effects of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on Student Achievement After Three Years, Jonathan N. Mills and Patrick J. Wolf
Supplying Choice: An Analysis of School Participation Decisions in Voucher Programs in DC, Indiana, and Louisiana, Yujie Sude, Corey A. DeAngelis, and Patrick J. Wolf
State and District Fiscal Effects of a Universal Education Savings Account Program in Arkansas, Julie R. Trivitt and Corey A. DeAngelis
State Fiscal Impact of the Succeed Scholarship Program 2016-2017, Julie R. Trivitt and Corey A. DeAngelis
Special Education Identification in the Louisiana Scholarship Program, Sivan Tuchman and Patrick J. Wolf
The Academic Effects of Private School Choice: Summary of Final Year Results from Experimental Studies, Patrick J. Wolf
Charter School Funding: Inequity in the City, Patrick J. Wolf, Larry D. Maloney, Jay F. May, and Corey A. DeAngelis
How HB 1222 Would Save Arkansas Money, Patrick J. Wolf, Julie R. Trivitt, and Corey A. DeAngelis
How & Why The Arkansas Parental Empowerment For Education Choice Act of 2017 (HB 1222) Saves the State Money, Patrick J. Wolf, Julie R. Trivitt, and Corey A. DeAngelis
Reports from 2016
Squeezing the Public School Districts: The Fiscal Effect of Eliminating the Louisiana Scholarship Program on State Education Expenditures, Corey A. DeAngelis and Julie R. Trivitt
The School Choice Voucher: A 'Get Out of Jail' Card?, Corey A. DeAngelis and Patrick J. Wolf
The Competitive Effects of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on Public School Performance, Anna J. Egalite
The Impact of the Louisiana Scolarship Program on Racial Segregation in Louisiana Schools, Anna J. Egalite, Jonathan N. Mills, and Patrick Wolf
The Impact of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on Racial Segregation in Louisiana Schools, Anna J. Egalite, Jonathan N. Mills, and Patrick J. Wolf
Measures of Student Non-cognitive Skills and Political Tolerance after Two Years of the Louisiana Scholarship Program, Jonathan N. Mills, Albert Cheng, Collin Hitt, Patrick J. Wolf, and Jay P. Greene
How has the Louisiana Scholarship Program Affected Students? A Comprehensive Summary of Effects After Two Years, Jonathan N. Mills, Anna J. Egalite, and Patrick J. Wolf
The Effects of the Louisiana Scholarship Program on Student Achievement After Two Years, Jonathan N. Mills and Patrick J. Wolf
You Can Often Get What You Want: Assessing the Match between Parent Preferences and Private Schools of Choice, Evan Rhinesmith and Patrick J. Wolf
The Participant Effects of Private School Vouchers Across the Globe: A Meta-Analytic and Systematic Review, M. Danish Shakeel, Kaitlin Anderson, and Patrick J. Wolf
Boosting Graduation Rates in Texas Through Education Savings Accounts, Patrick J. Wolf
Reports from 2015
Buckets of Water into the Ocean: Non-public Revenue in Public Charter and Traditional Public Schools, Meagan Batdorf, Albert Cheng, Larry D. Maloney, Jay F. May, and Patrick J. Wolf
Reports from 2014
Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands, Meagan Batdorf, Larry D. Maloney, Jay F. May, Sheree T. Speakman, Patrick J. Wolf, and Albert Cheng
The Productivity of Public Charter Schools, Patrick J. Wolf, Albert Cheng, Meagan Batdorf, Larry D. Maloney, Jay F. May, and Sheree T. Speakman
Reports from 2013
Education’s Fiscal Cliff, Real or Perceived?, Larry D. Maloney, Meagan Batdorf, Jay F. May, and Michelle Terrell
Reports from 2012
Student Attainment and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Final Follow-up Analysis, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, and Brian Kisida
Milwaukee Longitudinal School Choice Evaluation: Annual School Testing Summary Report 2010-11, Anna M. Jacob and Patrick J. Wolf
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Descriptive Report on Participating Schools 2010–11, Michael Q. McShane, Brian Kisida, Laura I. Jensen, and Patrick J. Wolf
School Site Visits: What can we learn from choice schools in Milwaukee?, Thomas Stewart, Anna M. Jacob, and Laura I. Jensen
MPCP Longitudinal Educational Growth Study Fifth Year Report, John F. Witte, Deven Carlson, Joshua M. Cowen, Patrick J. Wolf, and David J. Fleming
Milwaukee Independent Charter Schools Study: Final Report on Four-Year Achievement Gains, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Deven Carlson, and Alicia Dean
The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary of Final Reports, Patrick J. Wolf
Special Education and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Patrick J. Wolf, John F. Witte, and David J. Fleming
Reports from 2011
Student Attainment and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, John F. Witte, and Patrick J. Wolf
The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Descriptive Report on Participating Schools 2009 – 2010, Brian Kisida, Laura I. Jensen, and Patrick J. Wolf
Milwaukee Longitudinal School Choice Evaluation: Annual School Testing Summary Report 2009-10, Michael Q. McShane and Patrick J. Wolf
MPCP Longitudinal Educational Growth Study Fourth Year Report, John F. Witte, Deven Carlson, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, and Patrick J. Wolf
Milwaukee Independent Charter Schools Study: Report on Two- and Three-Year Achievement Gains, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Alicia Dean, and Deven Carlson
The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary of Fourth Year Reports, Patrick J. Wolf
Reports from 2010
Charter School Funding: Inequity Persists, Meagan Batdorf, Daniela Doyle, W. Holmes Finch, Brayan Hassel, and Brayan Hassel
The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2010 – 2011 Update and Policy Options, Robert M. Costrell
School and Sector Switching in Milwaukee, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, John F. Witte, and Patrick J. Wolf
Milwaukee Longitudinal School Choice Evaluation: Annual School Testing Summary Report 2008-09, Jeffery R. Dean and Patrick J. Wolf
The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program’s Effect on School Integration, Jay P. Greene, Jonathan N. Mills, and Stuart Buck
The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Descriptive Report on Participating Schools 2008 – 2009, Brian Kisida, Laura I. Jensen, and Patrick J. Wolf
Family Voices on Parental School Choice in Milwaukee: What can we learn from low-income families?, Thomas Stewart, Juanita Lucas-McLean, Laura I. Jensen, Christina Fetzko, Bonnie Ho, and Sylvia Segovia
The MPCP Longitudinal Educational Growth Study Third Year Report, John F. Witte, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, Patrick J. Wolf, Meghan R. Condon, and Juanita Lucas-McLean
Milwaukee Independent Charter Schools Study: Report on One Year of Student Growth, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Alicia Dean, and Deven Carlson
The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary of Third Year Reports, Patrick J. Wolf
Evaluation of the impact of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Final Report, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Michael Puma, Brian Kisida, Lou Rizzo, Nada Eissa, Matthew Carr, and Marsha Silverberg
Reports from 2009
The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2009 Update, Robert M. Costrell
Milwaukee Longitudinal School Choice Evaluation: Annual School Testing Summary Report 2007-08, Nathan L. Gray, Patrick J. Wolf, and Laura I. Jensen
The Effect of Milwaukee’s Parental Choice Program on Student Achievement in Milwaukee Public Schools, Jay P. Greene and Ryan H. Marsh
The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Descriptive Report on Participating Schools, Brian Kisida, Laura I. Jensen, and Patrick J. Wolf
Parent and Student Experiences with Choice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Thomas Stewart and Patrick J. Wolf
Family Reflections on the District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program: Final Summary Report, Thomas Stewart, Patrick J. Wolf, Stephen Q. Cornman, Kenann McKenzie-Thompson, and Jonathan Butcher
School Choice and Home Prices: Evidence from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marcus A. Winters
The MPCP Longitudinal Educational Growth Study Second Year Report, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, and Juanita Lucas-McLean
The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary of Second Year Reports, Patrick J. Wolf
Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After Three Years, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Michael Puma, Brian Kisida, Lou Rizzo, Nada Eissa, and Marsha Silverberg
Reports from 2008
The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, 1993-2008, Robert M. Costrell
Milwaukee Longitudinal School Choice Evaluation: Annual School Testing Summary Report, Nathan L. Gray, Patrick J. Wolf, and Laura I. Jensen
The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Baseline Descriptive Report on Participating Schools, Brian Kisida, Laura I. Jensen, James C. Rahn, and Patrick J. Wolf
The Muzzled Dog That Didn’t Bark: Charters and the Behavioral Response of D.C. Public Schools, Margaret D. Sullivan, Dean B. Campbell, and Brian Kisida
MPCP Longitudinal Educational Growth Study Baseline Report, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, and Juanita Lucas-McLean
The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary of Baseline Reports, Patrick J. Wolf
Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After Two Years, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Michael Puma, Brian Kisida, Lou Rizzo, Nada Eissa, and Marsha Silverberg
Reports from 2007
The Evolution of School Choice Consumers: Parent and Student Voices on the Second Year of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Stephen Q. Cornman, Thomas Stewart, and Patrick J. Wolf
Satisfied, Optimistic, yet Concerned: Parent Voices on the Third Year of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, Thomas Stewart, Patrick J. Wolf, Stephen Q. Cornman, and Kenann McKenzie-Thompson
Second Year Evaluation of the Systematic Effects of the DC Voucher Program, Marcus A. Winters and Jay P. Greene
Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After One Year, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Michael Puma, Lou Rizzo, Nada Eissa, and Marsha Silverberg
Reports from 2006
An Evaluation of the effects of DC's voucher program on public school achievement and racial integration after one year, Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters
Who Chooses, Who Uses? Initial Evidence from the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Patrick J. Wolf, Nada Eissa, and Babette Gutmann
Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Second year Report on participation, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Michael Puma, and Marsha Silverberg
Reports from 2005
Charter School Funding: Inequity’s Next Frontier, Meagan Batdorf, Chester E. Finn, Bryan Hassel, Larry D. Maloney, Eric Osberg, Sheree T. Speakman, and Michelle Terrell
Parent and Student Voices on the First Year of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, Thomas Stewart, Patrick J. Wolf, and Stephen Q. Cornman
Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: First Year Report on Participation, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Nada Eissa, Michael Puma, and Marsha Silverberg