Parental School Choice Architecture in Segregated Communities: The Case of Two Racially Integrated Charter Schools

• In Event: School Choice: Investigating the Experiences of Who Chooses to Participate

Abstract

In this comparative case study research, we explore a pair of recently opened rural charter schools that represent the first two fully integrated public schools in a historically segregated area. We were interested in learning what compelled parents to break with history and enroll their children at the schools. To do so, we conducted six focus groups (n=28) with parents at the conclusion of the first year each school was open. Parents were desirous of a different school setting than the one in which they previously enrolled their child(ren), whether that was at a private segregation academy, or a highly segregated traditional public school. Parents were drawn to the schools primarily due to their commitment to diversity and strong leadership.

Authors

• David T. Marshall, Auburn University
  Presenting Author

• Bryan Mann, University of Kansas
  Presenting Author

• Jason C. Bryant, Auburn University
  Presenting Author