Does school choice help special education students?
A. Definitely! Evidence shows that disabled students using school choice are getting better services. School choice for special education allows parents to find a school that matches their children’s individual needs. A 2003 Manhattan Institute study of the McKay program in Florida, which is used by more than 15,000 of the state’s special-education students, found that 93 percent of McKay participants are satisfied with their McKay schools, while only 33 percent were similarly satisfied with their public schools.
Definitely. Providing school vouchers to special education students allows families unhappy with their assigned public school to find a program that meet their child’s individual needs.The McKay Scholarship Program in Florida is used by over 13,000 of the state’s 375,000 eligible special education students. In 2003, the Manhattan Institute released the first evaluation of the Florida program after conducting interviews with parents who were currently using the McKay voucher and those who previously used a McKay voucher.The study found that over 92% of current McKay participants were satisfied with their McKay school compared to only 32% being satisfied with their public schools. Those participating also saw their class size drop dramatically from an average of 25.1 students per class in public schools to 12.8 students per class in McKay schools.Another major aspect for those using McKay vouchers was safety. McKay voucher students reported that they were victimized far less by other stu
