Determining Predictors of Choosing a School and Choosing Charters in Denver's Universal School Enrollment Program

• In Event: How Choice Happens: Understanding and Navigating the System From Varied Perspectives

Abstract

Through charter school laws, more than 40 states now enable parents to send their child to a school other than their neighborhood school. Given the option, what kinds of schools do parents prefer -- charter or traditional public schools? Are there differences in preferences based on family and student performance characteristics? This study takes advantage of a rare centralized enrollment system in Denver, Colorado, that enabled the authors to track the actual stated choices/preferences of parents. Results indicate the most consistent predictor of affirmatively choosing a school and choosing a charter school is race/ethnicity. Black and Hispanic families more than Whites are likely to choose and to choose charters. Few other variables demonstrate consistent patterns of relationships or significance.

Authors

• Marcus Winters, University of Colorado

• Grant A. Clayton, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs

• Dick M. Carpenter, University of Colorado