New York City Public High Schools: School Characteristics and the Demand for Specialized Programs

School choice is one of the most discussed, and most controversial, issues on today's school reform agenda. While most of the debate has focused on the public provision of education vouchers to cover tuition at private schools, many public school districts already use a variety of choice mechanisms, including magnet schools, intra - and inter-district choice plans, open enrollment, and charter schools. The Capstone team examined New York City's long-standing public high school choice program to gain insight into the choices families and students make when selecting a school. Using regression analysis, the Capstone team estimated the effect of school performance, student body characteristics, and institutional characteristics on applications to specialized programs in New York City's 213 high schools from 1995-1999.