Factors Driving School Choice in an Urban District

• In Event: Are Parental School Choices and Education Policy Goals Compatible?

Abstract

Objective
This study examines actual choices made by parents when first enrolling their children in an urban district noted for its extensive system of public school choice. It examines connections between student characteristics and school characteristics, and advances potential factors affecting parental choice of school when first enrolling in the district.

Perspective
Earlier studies by this author suggest that parental choices are driven by multiple factors, academic reasons accounting for less than half of choices (author et al, 2009, 2003). Other factors include cultural comfort, i.e. demographics of the chosen school, and accessibility, i.e. proximity or available transportation. This study builds on those earlier studies and examines racial and socioeconomic differences in patterns of choice.

The school district in the study provides an ideal venue for studying parental choice as a longstanding part of the district’s culture. Most elementary schools are available district-wide with transportation provided and nearly all students receive their choice of schools. Race has not been a factor in student assignment since 1999. In short, this district provides a natural environment for examining parental choice free of the influences of novelty, limited access, inadequate supply, or racial restrictions.

Data Sources
The dataset included over 14,000 children enrolling in the district for the first time during a four-year period, restricted to students entering kindergarten through third grade. Data about the children included gender, race, economic status, home language, LEP services and Special Education status. Using home addresses we determined characteristics of the student’s neighborhood (racial and economic makeup and test results for neighborhood students).We added the same variables for the school actually chosen, computed the distance from the student’s home, and determined whether district transportation was available.

Method
Following initial univariate analyses, a factor analysis of seven key variables identified three factors accounting for 75% of the variance in the data. We then entered these factor scores into a series of regression equations to model the importance of the three factors for each of the major racial/ethnic groups in the district and for students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Results/Conclusions
We named the identified factors academics, socioeconomics, and transportation. Following orthogonal rotation, they accounted for 36, 20, and 19 percent of the pooled variance respectively. Although the academic variable accounted for the largest amount of variance, the socioeconomic factor had more predictive strength within each of the regression equations. For Asian, Latino, and African American students, the socioeconomic factor predicted in the opposite direction than for Caucasian students, showing a propensity of all subpopulations to choose schools with students similar to themselves. For African American students, availability of transportation was the strongest predictor and the academic factor did not even reach statistical significance despite the large sample size.

Implications/Significance of Study
Choice of a school for one’s children is a complex decision involving more than simple academics, yet school choice policies do not always take that complexity into account. By examining the actual choices of a large sample of parents, we can begin to unravel this complexity.

Author

• Stephen J. Schellenberg, Saint Paul Public Schools