Henry M. Levinis the William Heard Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education at Columbia University Teachers College, where he is Director of the National centre for the Study of Privatization in Education. He was formerly on the faculty of Stanford University as the David Jacks Professor of Higher Education and Economics.

• Introduction * Chapter 1: Studying Privatization in Education Henry M. Levin * Introduction * Setting the Agenda * Chapter 2: Educational Vouchers and The Media Lee D. Mitgang and Christopher V. Connell * The Stakes and The Stakeholders * The Medias Challenges * What Can Be Done? Implementation Issues * Chapter 3: The Legal Status of Privatization and Vouchers in Education Frank R. Kemerer * Privatization Within the Public Sector * Vouchers, Tax Deductions, and Tax Credits * Stakeholders and The Research Agenda * Summary * Chapter 4: Information and Choice in Educational Privatization Mark Schneider * Parents as Stakeholders: Choice at the Individual Level * The Benefits and Costs of Gathering Information about Public Goods * Not Everyone Needs to Be Informed: The Concept of the Marginal Consumer * The Role of Other Stakeholders in the Provision of Information * The Role of Other Levels of Government and Business as Stakeholders * Increasing Information Levels * Constructing an Internet Site for Washington, DC Schools * Stratification in the Use of Information * Setting an Agenda for Schools and Information Preschools and Higher Education * Chapter 5: Preschools and Privatization Ellen Magenheim * Introduction * Who Are the Stakeholders with an Interest in This Issue and What Are Their Interests and Concerns? * What Types of Studies Might Address These Concerns? * Conclusions * Chapter 6: Privatization in Higher Education Arthur Levine * The Major Actors * The Implications for Higher Education * Research Questions International Dimensions * Chapter 7: Privatization Through Vouchers in Developing Countries: The Cases of Chile and Colombia Martin Carnoy and Patrick J. McEwan * Introduction * Vouchers and Reform in Chile, 1980-1996 * Lessons from the Chilean Voucher Plan * Targeted Vouchers in Colombia * Lessons from the Colombian Voucher Plan * Conclusions * Chapter 8: Privatization in Industrialized Countries Geoffrey Walford * Introduction * Privatization in England and Wales * Privatization Measures in the 1990s * Privatization Under Labour? * The Dutch Case * Setting the Research Agenda Charter Schools * Chapter 9: Assessing the Growth and Potential of Charter Schools Pearl Rock Kane and Christopher J. Lauricella * Charter Schools: Early History * The Charter School Concept * From Concept to Reality * Factors That Inhibit or Stimulate Charter School Growth * Charter School Demographics * Charter Schools as a Potential Reform * Chapter 10: Privatization and Charter School Reform: The Rich Get Richer Amy Stuart Wells and Janelle Scott * The Multiple Meanings of Charter School Reform and Privatization * The Intersection of Charter School Reform and Privatization * Implications and Further Research * Conclusion Perspectives of Stakeholders * Chapters 11: Vouchers, Privatization, and The Poor Gary Natriello * Framing the Issue * Major Stakeholders * Stakeholder Interests * Studies to Address the Concerns of Stakeholders * Existing Research * Final Thoughts * Chapter 12: Teachers and Privatization Caroline Hodges Persell * Who Are the Stakeholders and What are Their Concerns? * Previous Work on Privatization * Needed Research Evaluation Designs * Chapter 13: Criteria for Evaluating School Voucher Studies David E. Myers * Overview and Policy Context * Framing the Policy Question * Criteria for Evaluating School Voucher Studies * Summary of Criteria and Illustrative Report Card * Chapter 14: Designing Education Voucher Experiments: Recommendations For Researchers, Funders, and Users Fred Doolittle and Wendy Connors * Introduction * Key Policy-Related Questions * Key Research Methodology Questions * Conclusion