Institutional Change and Coproduction of Public Services: The Effect of Charter Schools on Parental Involvement

Recent discussions of school choice have revived arguments that the decentralization of governing institutions can enhance the quality of public services by increasing the participation of intended beneficiaries in the production of those services. We use data from the Schools and Staffing Survey to examine the extent to which the decentralization of authority to charter schools induces parents to become more involved in their children’s schools. We find that parents are indeed more involved in charter schools than in observationally similar public schools, especially in urban elementary and middle schools. Although we find that this difference is partly attributable to measurable institutional and organizational factors, we also find that charter schools tend to be established in areas with above-average proportions of involved parents, and we find suggestive evidence that, within those areas, it is the more involved parents who tend to select into charter schools. Thus, while the institutional characteristics of charter schools do appear to induce parents to become more involved in their children’s schools, such characteristics are only part of the explanation for the greater parental involvement in charter schools than in traditional public schools. By participating in the production of public services, intended beneficiaries can often raise the quality of those services. For instance, residents can enhance the effectiveness of public police protection by organizing neighborhood watch groups and the effectiveness of fire protection by using fire-resistant building materials, by updating their wiring systems, or by taking precautions with stoves and fireplaces. Participation of the individuals served is perhaps most important for services such as education, counseling, and medical services that are intended to influence how people develop and function. In the early 1980s experts on the structure of local governments argued that coproduction of public services can and should be encouraged through the use of institutional arrangements that provide opportunities and incentives for service agencies to cultivate This research was supported by the Smith Richardson Foundation. The authors also wish to acknowledge the valuable research assistance provided by Shana Cook and helpful comments provided by Jane Hannaway and by anonymous reviewers. Address correspondence to Robert Bifulco at [email protected]. doi:10.1093/jopart/muj001 Advance Access publication on November 30, 2005 a The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]. JPART 16:553–576