Subject: Can the market work with the public sector to produce superior results?

From: "National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:31:52 -0800

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATIZATION IN EDUCATION

EDUCATION VOUCHERS FOR UNIVERSAL PRE-SCHOOLS

By Henry M. Levin and Heather L. Schwartz
Occasional Paper No. 130

Can the market work with the public sector to produce superior results? 

Previous research indicates that children benefit from pre-school education, especially low-income and minority children. However, some policymakers consider the cost of high-quality early childhood education programs prohibitive. A new paper by Henry M. Levin and Heather L. Schwartz examines two issues related to pre-school education funding. First, the authors provide a brief set of arguments for government funding of universal, pre-school education. Second, they explore the applicability of a voucher plan using a regulated market approach for the funding of universal, pre-school education. Four criteria are used to assess the approach: freedom of choice, equity, productive efficiency, and social cohesion. The analytic framework is then applied to the Georgia Pre-K program, a statewide and universal approach based upon market competition that enlists government, non-profit, and for-profit educational providers. The authors conclude that, according to the four criteria set out, the highly regulated Georgia pre-school approach appears to produce superior results than one built upon exclusive production of pre-school services by government entities. 

New Occasional Papers from the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education can be viewed at http://www.ncspe.org/list-papers.php

Director Dr. Henry Levin
212-678-3857
[email-masked]

General Information
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