This document provides an overview of public-school voucher plans. Educational vouchers originated in the 1960s when Milton Friedman argued that vouchers would improve educational efficiency. Parents would receive the equivalent of per-pupil expenditures in the form of vouchers that could then be used at any school, either public and private. But the plan has met with resistance; public-opinion polls in 2001 revealed that 62 percent of respondents opposed allowing parents to choose a private school at public expense. In those cases where students attend private schools with public funds, 82 percent of the public believes that these private schools should be held as accountable as public schools. The report describes some of the legislative action and referenda that surround vouchers, along with constitutionality issues being played out in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; Florida; Maine; and Vermont. To further complicate the issue, studies of voucher systems give mixed results as to their effectiveness, and simply implementing these programs has been challenging. The document describes the effect of public vouchers on private schools, their impact on public schools, and their cost-effectiveness. The article closes with some recommendations and delivers some arguments for progressive voucher policies. (Contains 55 references.) (RJM)