Dive Brief:

• A new report by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability zeroes in on school choice in Indiana, saying that the state's voucher and charter legislation will ultimately hurt student achievement. 
• The report says the state has one of the nation's most extensive school choice programs, but the lack of restrictions placed on curriculum allow public dollars to go to private schools with "uncertain quality." 
• The report says Indiana's school choice model favors competition over looking for a system that reforms and improves all aspects of education in the state.

Dive Insight:

The report also touches on a racial dynamic that sees white students benefit from the state's voucher program 44% more than their minority counterparts.

This report runs somewhat counter to a recent American Legislative Exchange Council report, which found that Indiana has the best education policy in the nation (it ranked it at a B+). It is important to note, however, that ALEC arguably has a conservative bent, so any of its top-rated states are going to be those with flexible school choice programs. Even though ALEC ranked Indiana favorable for education policy, it noted the state's sub-par academics: It received a C- for state academic standards (its Common Core replacement was seen by many as the same thing with a different name), a B- for teacher quality and policies, and a C for digital learning.