The Case for Transparency & Equity: Improving MN’s Opportunity Scholarship Proposal
April 26, 2017
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS
Minnesota’s House and Senate omnibus tax bills both include provisions to provide a tax credit for donors to scholarship granting organizations, which would then administer Opportunity Scholarships for independent schools to low-income students.
THE CASE FOR TRANSPARENCY & EQUITY
In our first policy brief, The Case for Transparency & Equity: Improving MN’s Opportunity Scholarship Proposal, we explain why more school options for underserved students—which Opportunity Scholarships would provide—are critical. We also detail specific recommendations to ensure that, if legislators establish such a scholarship program, they include equity, transparency, and accountability on the front-end.
Research, site visits to states with scholarship programs, and interviews with their local policymakers and practitioners have allowed us to capture seven key recommendations to craft an effective program. Based on what we’ve learned, we have assessed how Minnesota’s current proposal lines up with these recommendations. We have also offered suggestions to better align the legislation with best practices from around the country, on issues ranging from academic accountability to programmatic transparency.