COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ A new study says Ohio students who moved to private schools under a state-funded scholarships program tended to perform significantly worse on state reading and math tests compared to similar students who stayed in public schools.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the study released on Thursday by the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute reviewed student test data from the 2003-04 to 2012-13 school years.

It compared students who used vouchers under the state’s $94.6 million EdChoice program to similar peers who stayed in voucher-eligible public schools.

The report says public school students who qualified for a voucher but didn’t use one saw “modest” improvements in achievement.

A state Department of Education spokeswoman says competition created by the program benefits schools and motivates everyone to work harder to meet students’ needs.