When Schools Compete A Cautionary Tale Author:Edward B. Fiske, Helen F. Ladd High on the agenda of many school reformers are proposals for more autonomy for schools, choice for parents, and competition among schools. Though debate about these and related reforms-such as charter schools and vouchers-has been vigorous, it has typically been driven more by ideology than empirical data. Conspicuously missing is solid eviden... more »ce of what happens to an entire school system when self-governing schools operate in a competitive environment over an extended period of time. When Schools Compete is the first book to provide detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of such an experiment. Combining the perceptive observations of a prominent education journalist and the analytical skills of an academic policy analyst, the book documents ten years of reform efforts in New Zealand, whose school system functions much like that of an American state. The authors, who spent five months in New Zealand visiting schools and gathering data, provide a wide range of insights and policy implications that will be useful to supporters and critics of market-based education reforms.« less