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The Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education provides non-partisan education research and information to policy-makers, education partners and the public. Our purpose is to encourage higher performance throughout Canada's public education system.
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Mixed Review for School Choice Legislation
[ October 13, 2004 ] A study of 20 urban school districts finds the prospects for more school choice for BC students under open enrollment legislation appear uncertain. The research monitored the impact of legislation passed in May 2002 permitting students to choose to attend schools outside their local catchment area, provided space is available.
School Choice Under Open Enrollment, authored by UBC Professor Daniel Brown, examines the results of BC’s new policy direction intended to expand public school choice by determining how the largest districts and their schools have responded. The research was based on interviews with district and government officials, reviews of relevant documents, and a survey of school principals.
"The legislation has had modest effect on the provision of school choice thus far", concludes Brown. "While all 20 districts studied affirmed a strong demand for choice, only four were found to have a favourable ‘choice climate’, based on nine indicators. Five districts have some schools of choice but give mixed signals about their commitment to them. The largest group of districts believes neighbourhood schools should be safeguarded and that schools should not be encouraged to differentiate themselves from others."
The research identified 74 applications for new schools or programs of choice received by boards in the 1999-2004 period, averaging 0.74 per district per year. The most frequently proposed were traditional, French immersion, and fine arts schools. Some 74% of proposals were approved and the rate of applications appears to be increasing. Parents are the primary source of proposals (71%), and they expressed a need for more district support in assembling the applications.
Brown received a $25,000 grant to conduct the research commissioned by the Society for Advancement of Excellence in Education (SAEE), a non-profit Canadian education research agency, with support from the Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation.
School Choice Under Open Enrollment (130 pp) is available from SAEE. An executive summary and order information may be found at http://www.saee.ca/publications/A_024_ABG_EXECSUM.php
For further information: Dan Brown (604) 822-4588 (UBC) or (604) 263-7369 (res),
Helen Raham, Exec. Director, SAEE (250) 717-1163
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