D.C. Opportunity Scholarships Boost Reading Scores, Family Satisfaction. WebMemo. No. 2391

Despite growing evidence of the success of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program (DCOSP), its future beyond 2009-2010 remains uncertain. This spring, Congress included legislative language in the Omnibus Appropriations Act requiring that the DCOSP be reauthorized by Congress and authorized by the D.C. City Council before receiving new federal appropriations. Since the DCOSP was created, supporters and opponents have pointed to evaluation by the Department of Education as a critical factor in determining whether the program should be continued. On April 3, the Department's Institute of Education Sciences released the results of the third-year evaluation of the program, which found that the offer and use of a scholarship has had a statistically significant positive effect on students' reading achievement. The author advocates that, in light of these findings, Congress, the Administration, and the D.C. City Council have sufficient support to continue the program. (Contains 5 notes.)