What Do Parents Want? Factors Affecting Parental Decisions in Charter School Enrollment

As an avenue of educational reform and organizational restructuring within public education, school choice has gained in popularity over the last twenty years. The charter school movement, in particular, has enjoyed a high growth rate since its introduction in 1992. Advocates of charter schools claim the schools’ regulatory freedom and unique structure foster improved academic performance and educational success. However, the literature shows charter school students’ performance is typically below and, at best, on par with that of neighboring public school peers. Given this mismatch of purported academic advantage and observed performance, this study aims to add to the literature by explaining why parents choose charter schools and remain in charter schools. Using the Texas Education Agency’s 2006 Survey of Charter School and Traditional School Parents this study will examine why parents consider different aspects of schooling more important than others. Survey responses will be analyzed to explain possible relationships between factors affecting charter school enrollment, race, and socioeconomic status. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence parents’ decisions to enroll and retain their children in charter schools. The number of charter schools in the United States has grown significantly over the past fifteen years despite evidence that academic performance is lacking and, at best, matches that of traditional public schools; therefore, the importance of this study lies in understanding the motivations for charter school enrollment. In the fall of 2006, the Texas Education Agency commissioned a survey of charter school and traditional school parents. Two hundred nineteen charter school parents and 218 traditional public school parents were interviewed by telephone and asked to describe the importance of fourteen school characteristics. This study will use parental attitudes and priorities towards school characteristics to help determine what motivates parents to pull children out of traditional public schools and enroll them in charter schools. Given that, as part of the survey, parents were asked to rate their satisfaction with seventeen different aspects of schooling after enrollment, I will follow up with an analysis of how parents perceive the charter school post-enrollment.