School Choice and Low-Income Families: A Case Study of Hartford Public Schools

• In Event: Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: School Choice: Equity and Access

Abstract

The paper begins with Hartford Public Schools’ (HPS) motivation to provide school choice within the district and then presents four big lessons learned from their choice system. Next, a review of behavioral economics research (how people behave) provides insight for why these lessons are applicable to other high poverty school districts, explores important concerns regarding low-income parents and access and equity when it comes to choosing schools, and helps think through recommendations for measuring success. The paper’s goal is to provide information that will be useful both to Hartford as they work to improve their school choice process, and to other districts that are interested in improving their choice programs.

Author

• Elizabeth Cooley Nelson, Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington