This report defines school choice as either student enrollment in a chosen public school (where parents reported that the student's public school was chosen rather than assigned) or as student enrollment in a private school (religious or nonsectarian). In the report, students in these types of schools of choice are compared with students enrolled in assigned public schools (where parents reported that the student attends the assigned public school).
The report also examines homeschooling as a school choice option. Students are considered to be homeschooled if a parent reported them as being schooled at home instead of at a public or private school for at least part of their education and if their part-time enrollment in public or private school did not exceed 25 hours a week. Students who were schooled at home primarily because of a temporary illness are not included as homeschoolers.