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Study of School Choice in the Republic of Ireland

 

School choice comparisons tend in America to be limited to differences between choice schools and traditional schools or between states.  Examination of other countries reveals that difference in terminology and underlying assumptions makes it difficult to benefit from school choice experience in other countries.  We study Ireland and Hawaii, because both are island states and both have second official languages which contribute to the school choice landscape.  We examine parent attitudes in Ireland in anticipation of comparing them to equivalent data published by the Hawaii DOE.  The study is a collaboration between American and Irish educational researchers. We also compare student performance in choice schools to that in traditional schools in both Hawaii and Ireland.  Policy implications will be examined.