Another day, another #SchoolChoice report release! This one is the annual accountability report on the Arkansas universal ESA program, called Education Freedom Accounts. Kudos to my @ua_edreform colleagues @mistygallo2 & @jbmcgee for leading on it. Highlights: 44,254 students participated in the 1st year of universal eligibility, representing 8.7% of government-supported K-12 students in Arkansas. Participation was widespread statewide, but highest in our major metropolitan areas in central and northwest Arkansas and in a few high-poverty rural areas. 35% of participants met one or more priority categories for service, including 16.3% with disabilities, comparable to the 16% rate for all Arkansas students. 60% used their accounts to attend private schools and 40% used them for microschools (3%) or homeschools (37%). All K-10 students were required to take a standardized test chosen by their education provider to align with the content they received. EFA students scored at the 62nd national percentile in math and the 66th in reading. Private school students spent most but not quite all of their EFA funds on tuition and fees. Homeschoolers spent their funds on a variety of educational products and services necessary to operate a school in the home. The program re-enrollment rate from spring 2026 to fall 2026 for K-11 students was a phenomenal 96%. Details here: bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpr…

REPORT ALERT: My co-authors & I report that, nationally, more than a quarter of a million students with disabilities (SWDs) participate in a private #SchoolChoice program, representing 15.5-17.2% of all choice students, a rate higher than the representation of SWDs in district-run public schools. aei.org/research-products/re…