A Comparison of Parental Empowerment, Involvement, and Satisfaction in Public, Charter, Catholic, and Christian Schools

• In Event: 43.078 - MTCC Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 43.078-4 - Research on School Choice: Choosing and Recruiting

Abstract

This study compares parental empowerment, involvement, and satisfaction in public, charter, Catholic, and Christian schools in Indiana. A survey of 1,699 parents was linked to school-level data for the analyses. Results for charter, Christian, and Catholic schools showed strong positive relationships with parental empowerment, involvement, and satisfaction relative to district-run public schools. However, when parents in these schools of choice were compared to parents who chose district-run public schools through residential selection, these positive relationships decreased. For those who did not choose district-run schools through residential selection, strong negative relationships were observed. In high-choice settings where viable school choice options may already be in place, the structure of district-run public schools may present opportunities for improving outcomes for parents.

Authors

• Daniel Hamlin, University of Oklahoma

• Albert Cheng, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville