DC School Voucher Program Reduces High School Dropout Rate From 45 Percent To 3 Percent: President Defunds Program In 2014 Budget Proposal To Protect Teachers Unions

From The Wall Street Journal, "The D.C. Voucher Example: Mr. President, how about that 97% graduation rate?"

Washington D.C.'s Opportunity Scholarship Program has released its latest data on student progress in that landmark voucher program. A remarkable 97% of its students graduated from high school in the 2011-2012 school year—a 4% increase from the two previous years. This compares to a D.C. public schools graduation rate of 55%. More than 90% of parents say they are happy with their voucher child's academic progress, and applications exceed slots for the coming school year by nearly 3 to 1.

Despite this success, Democrats killed D.C. vouchers in 2009 at the behest of teachers unions. It was left to Speaker John Boehner and former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman to rescue the education lifeline. The President's 2014 budget proposal again zeroes out funding, but it will survive thanks to House Republicans.