For the past 25 years, the Public Policy Forum has compiled and analyzed data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts to produce an annual report on trends in educational performance and demographics. This year's report, however, may take on greater importance than those of previous years in light of the monumental impacts of the new…

The recent appointment of a new superintendent, the need for priority-setting in the face of dramatic state budget cuts, and increased national attention on school reform have elevated the performance of the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to the forefront of local media and civic attention. Consequently, the need for an understandable and commonly…

For 24 consecutive years, the Public Policy Forum has compiled and analyzed data from southeastern Wisconsin's public school districts in order to better inform policymakers and the public about the effectiveness of the region's K-12 education system. This analysis of the 2009-10 academic year, like many of the previous reports, indicates cause…

This report is the latest in a series of reports investigating the link between high quality early childhood education and economic development. Longitudinal research from national experts indicates that high quality early childhood programs are likely to impart significant social, academic, and economic benefits to the children who participate,…

This is the 12th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). This year, the analysis again focuses on the long-term historical trends in RUSD. The analysis compares RUSD data to data of nine peer school districts as well as statewide data. The peer districts are defined as those Wisconsin districts with…

Changes in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program's enabling legislation were intended to increase program ability to enroll dissatisfied public school students while ensuring some third-party accountability for voucher schools. After changes in eligibility requirements and the lifting of the enrollment cap, enrollment did grow, but much of the…

This is the 11th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). Analysis continues to focus on the long-term historical trends in RUSD, comparing RUSD to nine peer school districts and the State of Wisconsin. RUSD peer districts are Wisconsin's largest (Milwaukee Public Schools are not included) and their…

For seventeen years an underlying rationale for Milwaukee's private school voucher program has been that competition from private schools is needed to bring about improvements in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). However, despite an increased availability of vouchers for more eligible children than ever before, demand during the past school year did…

This is the 10th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District RUSD). Analysis continues to focus on the long-term historical trends in RUSD, comparing RUSD to nine peer school districts and the State of Wisconsin. RUSD peer districts are Wisconsin's largest (Milwaukee Public Schools are not included) and their…

This is the 9th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District RUSD). Over the past decade, the conditions affecting the district as well as the school outcomes have changed in some ways and remained stable in others. This analysis compares RUSD to nine peer school districts and the state of Wisconsin. RUSD peer…

During the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program's (MPCP) 15th year, the statutory cap on voucher enrollment was met: for the first time, the voucher program enrollment surpassed 15% of Milwaukee Public School (MPS) enrollment. Hitting the cap has triggered a heated political debate. Voucher advocates argue that the cap should be lifted, that…

Telephone interviews were conducted in May-June 2006 with 900 adult residents of the City of Milwaukee, which is contiguous with the Milwaukee public school district. Respondents were representative of the general adult population of the school district with respect to race, gender, education, income and geography. The goal in conducting the…

This is the 8th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District RUSD). Each study has confirmed that the Racine Unified School District (RUSD) faces greater challenges than its peers. Although these challenges have led Racine to spend slightly above the average amount per pupil, district performance tends to be below…

Public schools can be considered a form of workforce development, and thus it is important to measure the "work product" of the schools. The Public Policy Forum's annual analysis of public schools in the 50 districts serving southeastern Wisconsin measured absenteeism as educational opportunities lost because children were not in class.…

Public schools in the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin spent $3.1 billion in 2004-2005 to employ 36,234 teachers and educate 308,936 children. Taken together, the region's K-12 public schools would be the largest employer in southeastern Wisconsin and the largest workforce developer in the region. The scale of K-12 public education is…