EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study evaluates the initial effect Washington D.C.'s Opportunity Scholarship Program (OPS) on the academic performance of public schools and its effects on the opportunities District students have to attend integrated schools. OPS is a federally sponsored school voucher program that provides vouchers worth up to $7,500 for an estimated 1,800 to 2,000 students in the District of Columbia. Students can use the scholar-ships to pay tuition at participating private schools in the District. The pilot program is designed to last for 5 years. The authors measure whether a public school's test score gains are related to its distance to the nearest voucher accepting private school or the number of voucher schools within a one mile radius of a public school. In theory, public schools with shorter distances to private schools or that have more private schools nearby should face greater competition from the voucher program than public schools with fewer educa-tional alternatives. The evaluation finds that the OPS has had no academic effect, positive or negative, on the District's public schools after its first year. This finding is different than most other studies, which tend to indicate school choice programs have helped to improve public school performance. The authors argue that a null finding could be explained by the fact that the OPS program was designed to have a minimal financial impact o