Proponents of private school vouchers argue that vouchers empower poor families and raise the academic achievement of poor children. They also argue that vouchers may improve achievement by forcing the public schools to compete in an education marketplace in which poor parents hold the power of the purse. Juxtaposed against this issue of vouchers are questions about class-size reduction and its effect on student achievement--not just for poor children, but for all children. This book discusses these and related questions in an examination of the research in vouchers, class-size reduction, and student achievement. It provides a documented and pertinent overview of these issues for schools, educators, communities, and parents. Initially, it offers a brief history of the voucher concept and then discusses the Milwaukee Parental Choice Voucher Program and the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program. The other half of the work treats the various research projects on smaller class-size programs in Nevada, Wisconsin, and California. (Contains 138 references.) (DFR)