Charter School Marketing as a Sorting Mechanism

• In Event: Choosing Schools: Preferences, Restraints, and Results

Abstract

Research on school choice has developed increasingly sophisticated measures for understanding how parents choose schools. Yet, comparatively little research has focused on understanding how schools market and promote their schools and curricular missions to families. We explore these patterns through a qualitative document analysis of charter school marketing materials in one metropolitan area. Drawing on an analysis of 57 school websites in one metropolitan area, we argue that charter schools selectively employ racial and ethnic symbols, images and codes to appeal to particular families. This study highlights the importance of “supply side” mechanisms that act to shape parents’ perceptions and preferences for particular school communities.

Author

• Terri S. Wilson, University of Colorado Boulder