Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Features of Schools in DC

The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), established in 2004, is the only federally-funded private school voucher program for low-income parents in the United States. This evaluation brief is based on a 2014 survey of Washington DC school principals and compares features of DC traditional public schools, charter schools, and those private schools that participate in the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). Findings suggest public school principals, compared to OSP private school principals, viewed their schools less favorably in areas such as academic climate, teachers' instructional skills, and school safety. However, public school principals reported students spent more time receiving math and reading instruction than did private school principals.