Do Vouchers In D.C. Pass The Test?

Yes, There Is Early Success

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's takeover of the District's schools provides him a historic opportunity to bring bold reforms to the city's public school system.

At the same time, any education reform effort must embrace all city students, including those in public charter schools and the 1,800 low-income students attending private schools under the federally funded scholarship program.

For those of us who fought to bring scholarships to the District -- over heated opposition from some quarters -- the recent federal report on the program is further evidence of early success. Scholarships are serving families most in need -- applicant families support three children with just over $17,000 a year, and, on average, students entered with standardized math and reading test scores in the bottom third. Scholarships are beginning to make a difference in early test scores. Studies show that it usually takes at least two years for students in a new school to show academic improvement, making it all the more impressive that after just seven months some scholarship students showed slight gains in math.

More telling is a recent Georgetown University report in which scholarship parents proudly describe their children's new attitudes toward learning. Zachary Tanner, after two years at St. Ann's Academy, "thinks more critically and, with his good grades, earns honorable mention," says his mother, Sharon. It's given "me a chance to test myself," explains Zachary, who has been accepted into St. John's High School. "I've never seen him this excited about school," his mother said.

Parents' involvement in their children's education -- one of the strongest indicators of student achievement -- has "dramatically increased," according to the Georgetown research, which is also reflected in the federal study.

It's no wonder that the program is so popular, with more than four students applying for every scholarship.

These scholarships were shaped and championed by local leaders, notably myself; Kevin Chavous, then a member of the D.C. Council and education committee chair; and Peggy Cooper Cafritz, then president of the D.C. Board of Education; and a host of local parents and educators and community leaders. Together, with the Education Department and Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, we built a local program tailored to the District's needs. And rather than diverting funds from public to private schools, scholarships -- at our insistence -- embody a three-sector approach in which the District's public and charter schools have received more than $100 million in new federal funds.

As Mayor Fenty observed, when it comes to educating our children, "nothing less than the future of our city is at stake." Few know this better than Magalee Cirpili, a recent Archbishop Carroll High School graduate. An avid poet, Magalee credits the three-year scholarship experience for her acceptance to Oberlin College. "The school's writing program really helped me sharpen my skills. Without that scholarship, I probably wouldn't be going to Oberlin."

As Washingtonians, we should support our new mayor's ambitious agenda for all our city's students, including those on scholarships.

-- Anthony Williams