Alo. b ‘INDEPENDENCE ISSUE PAPER 17-92 Independence Institute * 14142 Denver West Parkway #101 * Golden, CO 80401 » (303) 279-6836 October 26, 1992 “Each generation of Americans has outsiripped its parents in education, in literacy, and in economic attainment. For the first time in the history of our country, the educational stills of ‘one generation will not surpass, will not equal, will not even approach, those of their parents.” = A Nation ar Risk, 1983 QUALITY ALTERNATIVES TO GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN GREATER DENVER By Damon M. Zinn In Brief: Nonpublic School Study Suggests Vouchers Can Work I Here is evidence that if Amendment 7 passes on Nov. 3, parents in the counties of Denver, Boulder, Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, and Douglas will be able to take vouchers into an independent and church: | related educational sector thats socially and racially inclusive, responsive w harder-to-educate children, | uality-driven, and remarkably affordable. Daa in this issue paper, obtained through an Independence Institute survey of 48 schools and state records on 100 others, support that characterization. They contradict te bleak picture of an expensive, exclusive, unaccountable nonpublic sector as commonly portrayed by voucher opponents, W Inclusiveness: 80% of the schools surveyed enroll the majority of their students from families ‘making less than $50,000 per year, and 40% have a. significant proportion of black and Hispanic students. Two-thirds of the church-related schools report significant enrollment of children from outside their denomination. (See pages $ and 6.) i 'W Openness: 25% of survey respondents enroll a significant proportion of special-needs students. In addition, 80% said they “sometimes or almost always take chances on admitting students with past difficulties in academics or conduct.” (See paites 7 and 17.) “ Mi Quality: 90% of the schools have better placement records than the public schools for students ymoving on to the next level‘of education. They test rigorously, imaginatively, and often. With few | ‘exceptions all reported membership in one of more accrediting bodies. (See pages 13, 14,15.) | ears of inadequate educational buying power by voucher opponents are unfounded. erage tition for all 148 nonpublic schools in greater Denver whieh are registered with the Colorado ee of Education is just $2589 per year. Church-related schools, which comprise about two- thirds of the total, report-an even lower average of $2005. $5300 per. pupil Colorado public schools, (See page 7.) is now ‘being. spent in Also nowable: Amendment 7 cost projections which assume universal participation by. the ‘nonpublic education sector are suspect. 13% ofthe Institute's survey respondents declare hesitancy 10 accept a voucher in payment for tuition, even “with no regulatory strings auached:” (See page 18.) Table of contents is on page 2. Survey analysis begins on page 3. Full survey results and-a directory of all 148 schools are in a separate appendix. Note: The Independence Issue Papers are published for educational purposes only, and the authors speek for themselves. Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily representing the views of the Independence Institute or as an attempt to influence any election or legislative action.Table of Contents SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION .. SECTION 2. PRIVATE SCHOOLS INTHE SIx-COUNTY DENVER AREA SECTION 3. THE SURVEY SECTION 4. ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS Introduction and Summary of Fi ‘A. Student Body Profile. Grade ranges Enrollment . Demoninational Openness... Economic and ethnic backgrounds ‘The “Double Payment” Myth. ‘Special Needs Not Overlooked Geography 8, Financial Profile . Why Costs are Low. Making Ends Meet. Which kind of monuments? . Personnel and Plant. Personnel. Non-financi: Physical Plant Responsive Governance. D. Quality Factors. Accreditation ‘Testing. Student Achievement Student Placement Private Schools and the Voucher POLICY GUIDELINES AND REFORM PROPOSALS Empower the People am Localize Funding .. Listen to Parents... Develope a Visionary Blueprint... Proposal 1: SIX-COUNTY DENVER AREA Proposal 2: A GRADUALIST APPROACH: FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR DE-SOCIALIZING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM FIRST YEAR.. Implementation of a metro-area private voucher program. Public School District Open Enroliment. SECTION 5. Bimination of Teacher Initiation of New Schools. ‘Adoption of School Based Management . Elimination of Tenure. ‘THIRD YEAR ‘Statewide Open Public School Enroliment.. Unlimited Choice And Voucher Plan Proposal 3: CHOICE-VOUCHER PLAN: AN IMMEDIATE INSTITUTIONAL REFORM PLAN. Various Voucher Options.SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION Events in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have shown the failure of a centralized command structure. Bureaucracies that were immune to market forces are falling by the wayside, being replaced by systems that are meeting the needs of consumers. Increasingly, Americans are demanding similar change from their educational system. But the public school establishment still sounds too much like Mikhail Gorbachev, proposing a simple “restructuring” of the system without making any significant changes to it. ‘This year Americans will spend more on public education than at any other time in our history. Still the SAT verbal score in 1991 reached an all-time low. Colorado Gov. Roy Romer has suggested raising taxes and increasing government spending on education. Yet this is the same course of action that we have engaged in for the last 25 years. Why would this strategy work now, when it has failed in the past? The only sure beneficiaries of Gov. Romer's plan would be the education bureaucracy and the teacher unions. *he_tim mpower thi nsumers of ion, th parents and students. Excuses and hand-wringing must__stop, Choi: petition, ani i rm H Id purs It is time to bid adieu to Gorby and begin Yelstini: 1g the system, At this critical time in our educational system's history, this study is intended to inform parents and policy makers about the options available to them in the nonpublic school sector.” The paper is based on data from an Independence Institute survey documenting the diversity and the successes of the private schools in the Denver area. Recommendations for parents and policymakers, drawn from the survey findings, tell how to achieve real change, not just cosmetic restructuring. The goal must be to build an effective educational system for our state and thus provide a working model and example for the nation, This survey and evaluation provide a framework from which constructive answers should emerge to the questions being posed regarding * The appendix to this issue paper, published separately, gives @ comprehensive listing of all nonpublic schools in the six-coumty Denver metro area. This list provides basic information on many private and religious schools and should be useful as a resource guide for parents considering their alternatives. It also gives a full tabulation of responses of an Independence Institute survey of these private schools. Our analysis of the survey find- ings (see Section 4) highlights the trends and differences between the public and private sectors.