DC Voucher Program

[KissMy]

But the most obvious conclusion seems to be the one the author missed!!

The 21% difference, (70-49%) is between parents of kids that were interested enough to apply for vouchers, and the average DC kid's graduation rate.

Essentially, parental interest in their kids education, not the vouchers, had the largest impact on graduation rate.

The difference between the 70% rate of the ones who applied & the 91% rate of the ones who applied & used vouchers is also 21%. Vouchers have the exact same observed impact as parent involvement.

More astonishing is the fact that adding parental interest and vouchers did not diminish each others effect. Combining both 21% impacts actually equaled a 42% result. Since we do not have a group of dis-interested parents getting vouchers, I am going to assume that the vouchers play a larger role than the observed measurement. Because adding stimuluses usually results in diminishing returns especially as you approach 100%.

No.

The 91% number is derived by the logically challenged author,

Indeed 70 + 21 = 91, but this has nothing to do with results.

The chart in the report shows a 12% increase in voucher graduation rates over control group.

 

[Samson]

The difference between the 70% rate of the ones who applied & the 91% rate of the ones who applied & used vouchers is also 21%. Vouchers have the exact same observed impact as parent involvement.

More astonishing is the fact that adding parental interest and vouchers did not diminish each others effect. Combining both 21% impacts actually equaled a 42% result. Since we do not have a group of dis-interested parents getting vouchers, I am going to assume that the vouchers play a larger role than the observed measurement. Because adding stimuluses usually results in diminishing returns especially as you approach 100%.

No.

The 91% number is derived by the logically challenged author,

Indeed 70 + 21 = 91, but this has nothing to do with results.

The chart in the report shows a 12% increase in voucher graduation rates over control group.

Yes. 70 + 12 = 82

 

[Trajan]

I was hoping you'd address the face that 20 million illegal aliens seem to be surviving quite well outside Mexico without having US Public High School Diplomas.

In retrospect I think i did...

Did you?

Could it be possible that NIETHER a HS Diploma NOR HS Academic Achievement is necessary?

I'll just re-post my answer from before, I said, the HS diplaoma aura of assumed competence due to such is dissipating, what else do you want me to say? its not necessary? Its already being excluded from many employers benchmarks....you posted data in effect that backed that up...so whats the beef?

I think that yardstick ala a HS diploma is losing its ability to speak for itself as to the efficacy of a getting a better employee is losing its magic.( for the reason I stipulated above, there is little secret today that we are graduating kids who 20 years would not have had a hope of getting a diploma and employers are aware of that).

BUT, yes it is still a yardstick many employ, but the amalgamation taking place with more GED grads and the fact that 60% of first year college students need remedial studies to take standard first year college fare, is dissipating the aura of 'HS graduate" (and class A college ed. too).

 

[KissMy]

The main issue as far as I am concerned is urban sprawl. If you gave a family with 4 children a free home in the city, they would not live there because of the schools. It would cost them more to enroll all their children into private school than their house payment out in suburbia. Lack of vouchers is the number one reason the inner cities are so poor.

If these vouchers work at all I am all for them. Plus they cost the tax payer less. Vouchers are my number one issue when I vote for a candidate. As far as I am concerned it is the #1 problem in the USA.