The nation's debate on school vouchers has shifted from achievement to opportunity according to Clive Belfield, associate director of research for the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education. Belfield, who recently spoke at the National Forum on Education Policy, said that there is no evidence that vouchers impact student achievement. "It used to be about achievement and now it's about equity."

School vouchers are increasingly considered to be tools that promote opportunities for low-income and minority students, but Belfield noted that students who receive vouchers "do not appear appear to do better, on average" than students who remain in traditional public schools.

The article, entitled "Expert Says Vouchers Debate Shifts from Achievement to Opportunity" appeared in the July 15 edition of the Rocky Mountain News.

Published Monday, Jul. 28, 2003