Vouchers - Education Commission of the States

STATE	Program Name	Private school participation standards arrow_downward
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Special Needs Scholarship Program	Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program	- All teachers and administrators have a teacher license or meet other requirements. - Participating schools must be accredited by an accrediting agency. - Provides minimum yearly instruction of 1,050 hours for grades 1-6 and 1,137 for grades 7-12. - Schools may only reject students for capacity issues. If applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a lottery and give preference to previous students, siblings of previously enrolled students, students attending another private school under the choice program and their siblings. - Participating schools may not charge tuition beyond the voucher amount for students in grades K-8 and students in high school with household incomes at or below 220% of federal poverty guidelines. However, schools may charge reasonable fees for various things, although unpaid fees cannot affect a student's grades. - Participating schools must meet one of several standards (see (7)(a) for specifics). - Adopt standards in math, science, reading and writing, geography, and history.
Racine Parental Private School Choice Program	- All teachers and administrators have a teacher license or meet other requirements. - Participating schools must be accredited by an accrediting agency. - Provides minimum yearly instruction of 1,050 hours for grades 1-6 and 1,137 for grades 7-12. - Schools may only reject students for capacity issues. If applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a lottery and give preference to previous students, siblings of previously enrolled students, students attending another private school under the choice program and their siblings. - Participating schools may not charge tuition beyond the voucher amount for students in grades K-8 and students in high school with household incomes at or below 220% of federal poverty guidelines. However, schools may charge reasonable fees for various things, although unpaid fees cannot affect a student's grades. - Participating schools must meet one of several standards (see (7)(a) for specifics). - Adopt standards in math, science, reading and writing, geography, and history.
Wisconsin Parental Choice Program	- All teachers and administrators have a teacher license or meet other requirements. - Participating schools must be accredited by an accrediting agency. - Provides minimum yearly instruction of 1,050 hours for grades 1-6 and 1,137 for grades 7-12. - Schools may only reject students for capacity issues. If applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a lottery and give preference to previous students, siblings of previously enrolled students, students attending another private school under the choice program and their siblings. - Participating schools may not charge tuition beyond the voucher amount for students in grades K-8 and students in high school with household incomes at or below 220% of federal poverty guidelines. However, schools may charge reasonable fees for various things, although unpaid fees cannot affect a student's grades. - Participating schools must meet one of several standards (see (7)(a) for specifics). - Adopt standards in math, science, reading and writing, geography, and history.
Vermont	Town Tuitioning Program	N/A
Utah	Carson Smith Scholarship Program	- Located in the state. - Demonstrate fiscal soundness. - Annually assess scholarship students. - Employ teachers meeting specific criteria. - Meet state and local health and safety laws and codes - Provide written disclosures to parents.
Oklahoma	Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program	- Meet state's accreditation standards. - Demonstrate fiscal soundness and in operation for at least one year. - Be accountable to parents for meeting students' academic and emotional needs. - Teachers must have baccalaureate degrees or higher or meet certain requirements. - Adhere to the school's published disciplinary procedures before expelling a participating student. - Comply with all state laws applicable to private schools.
Ohio	Joh Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program	- Students may attend school districts outside of the student's resident district, public entities other than a school district, or a private school. - Private schools must be chartered by the state board or meet several requirements and be approved by the department of education. - Private school employees must be appropriately credentialed.
Autism Scholarship Program	- Students may attend school districts outside of the student's resident district, public entities other than a school district, or a private school. - Education services must be provided by qualified, credentialed providers. - Private schools must be approved by the department of education.
Cleveland Scholarship Program	- Private schools must be located within city limits or high schools up to 5 miles outside of city limits. - Must be registered with the state superintendent. - Meet class size requirements. - Participating schools may not charge tuition for students in grades K-8 beyond the voucher amount for students at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. - For students in grades 9-12, schools may not charge tuition to students beyond the voucher amount.
Educational Choice Scholarship Program	- Must have a charter from the state board of education. - May not charge over the voucher amount for students with household incomes at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. - Other requirements specified in administrative rules.
EdChoice Expansion Program	- Must have a charter from the state board of education. - May not charge over the voucher amount for students with household incomes at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. - Other requirements specified in administrative rules.
North Carolina	Opportunity Scholarship	- Provide an annual progress report to parents. - Administer a nationally standardized test and report results to the state. - Annual financial audit. - Provide the state with information about graduation rates for participating students. - Participating schools may not require additional fees from participating students. - Private schools enrolling more than 25 participating students must provide the state with aggregate test performance data for participating students.
Special Education Scholarships for Children with Disabilities	- Meet the state's requirements for private schools.
New Hampshire	Town Tuitioning Program	- Must be nonsectarian. - Receive approval as a school tuition program by the school board. If the school enrolls 10 or more publicly-funded tuition program students and if the school's group assessment percentile score for tuition program students is less than the 40th percentile, the commissioner may require a site visit to determine if the school provides the opportunity for an adequate education. Following a third year of assessment performance below the 40th percentile, a school may have its status as a school tuitioning program revoked.
Mississippi	Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program	- Accredited by the state as a special purpose school emphasizing speech-language therapy. - Provide an annual report to parents on the student's progress. - Maintain an in-state physical location where a scholarship student regularly attends classes. - Participating schools must have the following staff: an administrator or director with training in dyslexia; a licensed dyslexia therapist; dyslexia therapists in training participating in approved programs; licensed elementary school teachers supervised by a licensed dyslexia therapist. - Comply with public school background check requirements. - Adhere to state auditing requirements.
Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program/ Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for Students with Speech-Language Impairments Program	- Accredited by the state as a special purpose school emphasizing speech-language therapy. - Provide an annual report to parents on the student's progress. - Maintain an in-state physical location where a scholarship student regularly attends classes. - Participating schools must have speech language pathologists. - Comply with public school background check requirements. - Adhere to state auditing requirements.
Maryland	Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program	- Previously participated in the state's Aid to Non-Public Schools Program for textbooks and computers. - Serve at least one grade level beyond Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. - Comply with federal civil rights law and not discriminate in student admissions, retention, or expulsion or otherwise discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
Maine	Town Tuitioning Program	- Meet the state's basic requirements for a private school. - Schools enrolling 60% or more publicly-funded students must be accredited by an outside association and meet the requirements of the state's system of learning results. - Provide the Commissioner of Education any information that may be required, and the Commissioner may request an audit. - Must be nonsectarian. The governing bodies of the school district and private school may establish a joint committee to select teachers, set teacher salaries, arrange a course of study, supervise instruction, and oversee other educational activities. The superintendent of the school district in which the private school is located should participate in the committee.
Louisiana	School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities	- Must be approved by the state board of education - Provided educational services to students with exceptionalities for at least two years prior to participating in the program - Teachers must have appropriate special education certification or training.
Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence	- Approved by the state board of education and notified the department of their intent to participate on February 1st of the previous school year. - Use an open admissions process for student enrollment and are prohibited from establishing additional eligibility criteria for student participation. - Voucher student enrollment at private schools open for two years or less must be 20% or less of student enrollment. - Must accept the scholarship amounts provided to scholarship recipients as full payment of all educational costs, including incidental or supplementary fees that are charged to all enrolled students. - Voucher students at participating schools must be included in the state's accountability system.
Indiana	Choice Scholarship Program	- Is located in Indiana. - Is accredited. - Administers the statewide assessment program.
Georgia	Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program	- Have a physical location in the state. - Demonstrate fiscal soundness by being in operation for more than a year or by submitting other information demonstrating fiscal soundness. - Comply with federal antidiscrimination standards. - Comply with applicable state laws and codes including health and safety standards and employing teachers that meet certain criteria.
Florida	John M. McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program	- Comply with state private school requirements, including: complying with federal anti discrimination policy, demonstrating fiscal soundness, meet state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, codes. - Employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees, have at least 3 years of teaching experience in public or private schools, or have special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in subjects taught.
Family Empowerment Scholarship	- Comply with state private school requirements, including: complying with federal anti discrimination policy, demonstrating fiscal soundness, meet state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, codes, - Employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees, have at least 3 years of teaching experience in public or private schools, or have special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in subjects taught.
District of Columbia	Opportunity Scholarship Program	- Maintain a valid certificate of occupancy in D.C. - Make school accreditation information available. - Provide proof of financial soundness for schools operating 5 years or less. - Ensure that core-subject teachers have a BA or equivalent degree. - Be accredited or pursuing accreditation by a national or regional accrediting agency. - Conduct criminal background checks of school employees. - Not discriminate against program participants or applicants on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or sex.
Arkansas	Succeed Scholarship Program	- Meets the accreditation requirements set by the State Board of Education, the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association, Inc., or its successor, or another accrediting association recognized by the state board as providing services to individuals with severe disabilities; or - Is an associate member of or has applied for accreditation by the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association, Inc., or its successor, or another accrediting association recognized by the state board as providing services to individuals with severe disabilities. - Demonstrates fiscal soundness by having been in operation for one (1) school year or providing the division with a statement by a certified public accountant confirming that the private school is insured and the private school has sufficient capital or credit to operate in the upcoming school year. - Complies with federal anti discrimination provisions - Meets state and local health and safety requirements;Is academically accountable to the parent or legal guardian for meeting the educational needs of the student; - Employs or contracts with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees - Complies with all state laws and rules governing private schools; and - Adheres to the tenets of its published disciplinary procedures before an expulsion of a student receiving a scholarship.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Special Needs Scholarship Program

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

- All teachers and administrators have a teacher license or meet other requirements.
- Participating schools must be accredited by an accrediting agency.
- Provides minimum yearly instruction of 1,050 hours for grades 1-6 and 1,137 for grades 7-12.
- Schools may only reject students for capacity issues. If applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a lottery and give preference to previous students, siblings of previously enrolled students, students attending another private school under the choice program and their siblings.
- Participating schools may not charge tuition beyond the voucher amount for students in grades K-8 and students in high school with household incomes at or below 220% of federal poverty guidelines. However, schools may charge reasonable fees for various things, although unpaid fees cannot affect a student's grades.
- Participating schools must meet one of several standards (see (7)(a) for specifics).
- Adopt standards in math, science, reading and writing, geography, and history.

Racine Parental Private School Choice Program

- All teachers and administrators have a teacher license or meet other requirements.
- Participating schools must be accredited by an accrediting agency.
- Provides minimum yearly instruction of 1,050 hours for grades 1-6 and 1,137 for grades 7-12.
- Schools may only reject students for capacity issues. If applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a lottery and give preference to previous students, siblings of previously enrolled students, students attending another private school under the choice program and their siblings.
- Participating schools may not charge tuition beyond the voucher amount for students in grades K-8 and students in high school with household incomes at or below 220% of federal poverty guidelines. However, schools may charge reasonable fees for various things, although unpaid fees cannot affect a student's grades.
- Participating schools must meet one of several standards (see (7)(a) for specifics).
- Adopt standards in math, science, reading and writing, geography, and history.

Wisconsin Parental Choice Program

- All teachers and administrators have a teacher license or meet other requirements.
- Participating schools must be accredited by an accrediting agency.
- Provides minimum yearly instruction of 1,050 hours for grades 1-6 and 1,137 for grades 7-12.
- Schools may only reject students for capacity issues. If applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a lottery and give preference to previous students, siblings of previously enrolled students, students attending another private school under the choice program and their siblings.
- Participating schools may not charge tuition beyond the voucher amount for students in grades K-8 and students in high school with household incomes at or below 220% of federal poverty guidelines. However, schools may charge reasonable fees for various things, although unpaid fees cannot affect a student's grades.
- Participating schools must meet one of several standards (see (7)(a) for specifics).
- Adopt standards in math, science, reading and writing, geography, and history.

Vermont

Town Tuitioning Program

N/A

Utah

Carson Smith Scholarship Program

- Located in the state.
- Demonstrate fiscal soundness.
- Annually assess scholarship students.
- Employ teachers meeting specific criteria.
- Meet state and local health and safety laws and codes
- Provide written disclosures to parents.

Oklahoma

Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program

- Meet state's accreditation standards.
- Demonstrate fiscal soundness and in operation for at least one year.
- Be accountable to parents for meeting students' academic and emotional needs.
- Teachers must have baccalaureate degrees or higher or meet certain requirements.
- Adhere to the school's published disciplinary procedures before expelling a participating student.
- Comply with all state laws applicable to private schools.

Ohio

Joh Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

- Students may attend school districts outside of the student's resident district, public entities other than a school district, or a private school.
- Private schools must be chartered by the state board or meet several requirements and be approved by the department of education.
- Private school employees must be appropriately credentialed.

Autism Scholarship Program

- Students may attend school districts outside of the student's resident district, public entities other than a school district, or a private school.
- Education services must be provided by qualified, credentialed providers.
- Private schools must be approved by the department of education.

Cleveland Scholarship Program

- Private schools must be located within city limits or high schools up to 5 miles outside of city limits.
- Must be registered with the state superintendent.
- Meet class size requirements.
- Participating schools may not charge tuition for students in grades K-8 beyond the voucher amount for students at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
- For students in grades 9-12, schools may not charge tuition to students beyond the voucher amount.

Educational Choice Scholarship Program

- Must have a charter from the state board of education.
- May not charge over the voucher amount for students with household incomes at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
- Other requirements specified in administrative rules.

EdChoice Expansion Program

- Must have a charter from the state board of education.
- May not charge over the voucher amount for students with household incomes at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
- Other requirements specified in administrative rules.

North Carolina

Opportunity Scholarship

- Provide an annual progress report to parents.
- Administer a nationally standardized test and report results to the state.
- Annual financial audit.
- Provide the state with information about graduation rates for participating students.
- Participating schools may not require additional fees from participating students.
- Private schools enrolling more than 25 participating students must provide the state with aggregate test performance data for participating students.

Special Education Scholarships for Children with Disabilities

- Meet the state's requirements for private schools.

New Hampshire

Town Tuitioning Program

- Must be nonsectarian.
- Receive approval as a school tuition program by the school board.

If the school enrolls 10 or more publicly-funded tuition program students and if the school's group assessment percentile score for tuition program students is less than the 40th percentile, the commissioner may require a site visit to determine if the school provides the opportunity for an adequate education. Following a third year of assessment performance below the 40th percentile, a school may have its status as a school tuitioning program revoked.

Mississippi

Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program

- Accredited by the state as a special purpose school emphasizing speech-language therapy.
- Provide an annual report to parents on the student's progress.
- Maintain an in-state physical location where a scholarship student regularly attends classes.
- Participating schools must have the following staff: an administrator or director with training in dyslexia; a licensed dyslexia therapist; dyslexia therapists in training participating in approved programs; licensed elementary school teachers supervised by a licensed dyslexia therapist.
- Comply with public school background check requirements.
- Adhere to state auditing requirements.

Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program/ Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for Students with Speech-Language Impairments Program

- Accredited by the state as a special purpose school emphasizing speech-language therapy.
- Provide an annual report to parents on the student's progress.
- Maintain an in-state physical location where a scholarship student regularly attends classes.
- Participating schools must have speech language pathologists.
- Comply with public school background check requirements.
- Adhere to state auditing requirements.

Maryland

Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program

- Previously participated in the state's Aid to Non-Public Schools Program for textbooks and computers.
- Serve at least one grade level beyond Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
- Comply with federal civil rights law and not discriminate in student admissions, retention, or expulsion or otherwise discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

Maine

Town Tuitioning Program

- Meet the state's basic requirements for a private school.
- Schools enrolling 60% or more publicly-funded students must be accredited by an outside association and meet the requirements of the state's system of learning results.
- Provide the Commissioner of Education any information that may be required, and the Commissioner may request an audit.
- Must be nonsectarian.

The governing bodies of the school district and private school may establish a joint committee to select teachers, set teacher salaries, arrange a course of study, supervise instruction, and oversee other educational activities. The superintendent of the school district in which the private school is located should participate in the committee.

Louisiana

School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities

- Must be approved by the state board of education
- Provided educational services to students with exceptionalities for at least two years prior to participating in the program
- Teachers must have appropriate special education certification or training.

Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence

- Approved by the state board of education and notified the department of their intent to participate on February 1st of the previous school year.
- Use an open admissions process for student enrollment and are prohibited from establishing additional eligibility criteria for student participation.
- Voucher student enrollment at private schools open for two years or less must be 20% or less of student enrollment.
- Must accept the scholarship amounts provided to scholarship recipients as full payment of all educational costs, including incidental or supplementary fees that are charged to all enrolled students.
- Voucher students at participating schools must be included in the state's accountability system.

Indiana

Choice Scholarship Program

- Is located in Indiana.
- Is accredited.
- Administers the statewide assessment program.

Georgia

Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program

- Have a physical location in the state.
- Demonstrate fiscal soundness by being in operation for more than a year or by submitting other information demonstrating fiscal soundness.
- Comply with federal antidiscrimination standards.
- Comply with applicable state laws and codes including health and safety standards and employing teachers that meet certain criteria.

Florida

John M. McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program

- Comply with state private school requirements, including: complying with federal anti discrimination policy, demonstrating fiscal soundness,
meet state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, codes.
- Employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees, have at least 3 years of teaching experience in public or private schools, or have special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in subjects taught.

Family Empowerment Scholarship

- Comply with state private school requirements, including: complying with federal anti discrimination policy, demonstrating fiscal soundness, meet state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, codes,
- Employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees, have at least 3 years of teaching experience in public or private schools, or have special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in subjects taught.

District of Columbia

Opportunity Scholarship Program

- Maintain a valid certificate of occupancy in D.C.
- Make school accreditation information available.
- Provide proof of financial soundness for schools operating 5 years or less.
- Ensure that core-subject teachers have a BA or equivalent degree.
- Be accredited or pursuing accreditation by a national or regional accrediting agency.
- Conduct criminal background checks of school employees.
- Not discriminate against program participants or applicants on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or sex.

Arkansas

Succeed Scholarship Program

- Meets the accreditation requirements set by the State Board of Education, the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association, Inc., or its successor, or another accrediting association recognized by the state board as providing services to individuals with severe disabilities; or
- Is an associate member of or has applied for accreditation by the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association, Inc., or its successor, or another accrediting association recognized by the state board as providing services to individuals with severe disabilities.
- Demonstrates fiscal soundness by having been in operation for one (1) school year or providing the division with a statement by a certified public accountant confirming that the private school is insured and the private school has sufficient capital or credit to operate in the upcoming school year.
- Complies with federal anti discrimination provisions
- Meets state and local health and safety requirements;Is academically accountable to the parent or legal guardian for meeting the educational needs of the student;
- Employs or contracts with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees
- Complies with all state laws and rules governing private schools; and
- Adheres to the tenets of its published disciplinary procedures before an expulsion of a student receiving a scholarship.