Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

WASHINGTON, MARCH 3, 2008--Parents can learn about the latest school-choice options in their state and across the nation by visiting The Heritage Foundation's new Web site, "Choices in Education," at www.heritage.org/schoolchoice.

There, by clicking on any state on a U.S. map, parents will see the status of public and private school choice, including charter schools, home schooling and online or "virtual" education, instruction in which teacher and student are separated by time or space.

Visitors to Heritage's "Choices in Education" site also can access the latest research on school choice and other education reforms as well as related news. The site is designed to be a go-to resource for policymakers and journalists as well as parents and taxpayers in general.

"More and more American families enjoy expanded opportunities to choose the best schools for their children," Heritage education analyst Dan Lips says. "Today, 13 states and Washington, D.C., offer programs allowing private school choice, including publicly funded scholarships to attend private schools."

School choice creates competition for students, Lips says, which stimulates public schools to innovate and improve.

"Despite gains in school choice in such states as Georgia, Iowa and Pennsylvania, millions of children languish in low-performing public schools," he adds. "There's plenty of room for federal and state policymakers to achieve greater parental choice through reform of public education laws."