Presentation Transcript

1. Parents’ Experience with School ChoiceByDAN ZAICH, Ed.D.

   The Northern California Educational Leadership Symposium February 15, 2014
2. Despite recent studies on parent preferences, the social psychological constructs of the choosing process as they relate to why parents hold different preferences for various dimensions of schooling has not been fully explored or answered. Drawing on the work of past researchers: . . . differences between who opts out and who remains behind depend heavily on context. Characteristics of neighborhood public schools and the local community, key features of school choice policies, the accessibility of information on school quality, and idiosyncratic groups of students. Bifulco, et al., (2008) Introduction
3. Focusing on the actually social context of individuals’ school choice decisions Saporito(2008) expressed a disturbing conclusion, asserting that, … because I rely upon data that describe real, rather than hypothetical, choices, I have been able to observe individual choices in their actual social context. In so doing, I find that race is a primary consideration in school choice and is not reduced to a mere ‘proxy’ for the poor social conditions often associated with neighborhoods occupied by racial minorities. I know this because white avoidance of minority schools is not diminished when I account for school characteristics such as poverty, race, average test scores, and safety. (p. 98) Based on the research conclusions of Saporito (2008), which are supported by the research of Synder and Buckley, there is a need for future studies to rely on the actual decision choices of parents rather than hypothetical choices based on parent’s statements regarding the factors they consider important in their school choice decision. Introduction
4. Furthermore, just as in the Saporito study, future research needs to be grounded in the actual social context of individual’s choices. Saporito argues, “ . . . programs that allow the unfettered movement of children across schools will exacerbate existing race and class-based segregation in traditional, local neighborhood schools that children leave, further deteriorating the educational condition faced by the most disadvantaged students” (p. 198). Introduction
5. When small, suburban school districts are consolidated with other districts, they might be able then to offer special educational opportunities (i.e., special programs in health sciences or performing arts) that they otherwise could not provide. Additionally, "if a racially diverse suburb offers access to excellent regional schools, it increases its attractiveness in the housing market in ways that could help create [multicultural] stability" (Frankenberg and Orfield, 2012, p. 231). Right now, individual suburbs tend to ignore these kinds of issues until too late and to have no broader allies to help with better policies when their fates lie in the balance. (Frankenberg and Orfield, 2012, p. 235). Introduction
6. Heckman and Montera (2001) argue that, … rather than offering broad choices of schools or programs for children and parents . . . school reform should be focused on the idea that children’s individual choice has to be embraced everyday within schools and classrooms as a central feature of a customized and personalized education. (p. 42) Choice Summary- ‘Hamburgers my way!’
7. The data analysis revealed some aspects of education parents consider important in their school choice process, and how they make sense of schooling options for their children. The data consisted of parents’ statements from focus group discussions. Data Collection Methodology
8. Based on findings from this study: There is an indication that family history plays a very strong and influential role in the choices that parents make. Parents' level of education and what parents value in schools indicated that these college educated parents in an upper-middle class socio-economic group consider the sociological attributes of a school important. Parents believe that a small community environment where teachers and staff know each student and child have a personal relationship with faculty members and administrators is imperative. Research Findings
9. This college educated sample ranked the learning environment, specifically, teacher quality, as the most important aspect of their child's education. All of the parents expressed concern about teacher preparedness, teacher and staff overload, and the quality of curricular programs. Parents are very concerned about their child's well-being. Data Summary
10. Boyer confirms the need for meaningful efforts to improve communications between educators and parents regarding school options. He asserts, "In most states . . . reliable information about school choice options is scarce. Boyer further suggests that, ". . . every statewide choice program requires a parent information system, one that makes program details available to all parents and spells out how school selections should be made. " (p. 60). Setting the Stage
11. Although parents seem to rely on the opinions and experiences of family and friends, educators, nevertheless, would be well advised to undertake sustained and well planned efforts for increasing the understandings that parents may have about their potential school choice options and the educational opportunities afforded by the various school programs under consideration. While the school district may have detailed information on measures of school performance, which parents may find useful, this information is often not easily accessible or understandable to parents. Setting the Stage
12. This study indicated the need for educators to make sustained and well planned efforts to increase the connection for parents between their potential school choice options and the educational opportunities the school programs provide. While the school district may have detailed information on measures of school performance which parents find useful, this information is often not easily accessible or understandable to parents. Choice Considerations
13. Schools should provide adequate consumer information. Districts could increase the amount and attention they place on information they make available about criteria for determining the effectiveness of district schools so that parents become well-informed consumers. Districts could provide a checklist of useful information noted in particular categories for use by parents in evaluating schools, such as facts about teachers' backgrounds and qualifications and a school’s climate, learning environment, safety record, curriculum/ program offerings, and mission and values. Consumer Information
14. It is recommended that partnerships between neighborhood public high schools and lower grades at their feeder schools should be part of each public high school’s community outreach program bridge-building efforts which should extend to the elementary level. Recommendations for School Administrators
15. Educational policymakers need to develop successful strategies to prevent the resegregation of suburban schools. Policies would help change the flow of people in and out of communities to achieve educational objectives to eliminate resegregation. Networks could be created between the education profession, urban development, housing, civil rights agencies, and the media about the challenge of resegregation and the possible solutions to this problem. Small, suburban school districts are especially vulnerable to resegregation. To deal with this issue, small school districts could consolidate into countywide systems to prevent resegregation and achieve a more integrated educational system and better educational outcomes for all students. Suburban Resegregation ‘Alert’
16. Further investigation of a possible movement toward resegregation of this and other suburban communities is needed. A comparison of local statistics with national data might illuminate the difference in educational outcomes between communities without school integration plans versus communities with integrated plans. Suburban Resegregation ‘Alert’
17. Future research might also identify important design features for developing these kinds of parental guides for assisting in the school choice process. Together, these recommendations might assist all in finding better fits between children’s talents, abilities, and interests, and a school's strengths and weaknesses. Teacher preparation courses could also encourage prospective teachers to improve their ways of encouraging parent-teacher interactions and ways for building positive relationships between teachers and parents and their children. Positive parent-teacher contacts and communication might also increase the positive views of both parents and children and help them understand the advantages of attending a particular school. Recommendations, Research, & Teacher Preparation
18. District central office personnel could also increase the number and the quality of contacts they make in their community beginning in the early elementary school years. A kind of word-of-mouth influence might arise from early contacts between district officials and community members, whereby more positive assessments of district schools might occur informally as friends and neighbors discuss their perceptions of the schools gained from these interactions. Recommendations Central Office
19. Public policy-makers should review the current trend to open more and more charter schools. These research finding suggest that more choice is not necessarily better and may in fact be influencing resegregation issues in small suburban school districts. Public high schools might increase program choices and flexibility in the design of students’ individual class schedules rather than adding more schools of choice. Creating small communities of students with similar interests within existing public high schools might better serve as a major focus and objective for educational policy-makers at the local district, state, and federal levels. Recommendations for Public Policy
20. Public policy-makers might also examine the current trend of encouraging the opening of more charter schools in light of current research findings about school choice. Some of this research (Iyengar, 2010) suggests that more choice is not necessarily better. Instead, some research (Darling-Hammond) suggests that creating small communities of students with similar interests within existing public high schools (like the MSA model) might better serve students than does creating more charter schools. Private and charters schools try to ensure the best fit between student’s interests and abilities and their program offerings. Parents seem to expect the choice of individualized program features for their children. These features are possible for use in all schools of a district. Recommendations for Public Policy
21. Networks of educators, urban development specialists, housing and civil rights agencies, and the media could be created. These could study and challenge any resegregation trends that might be underway and in that process develop possible solutions to this problem. What we need for a comprehensive attack is a different system of school districts and student attendance boundaries, a more regional operation of school choice and magnet efforts with a goal of stable diversity and equity. The goal should be supported by planners, housing officials, and local governments and embraced by the key operators in the private housing market . . . in the long run we should move toward consolidated governments and school districts . . . (Frankenberg and Orfield, 2012, p. 235) Educational policymakers need to develop successful strategies for preventing the resegregation of suburban schools. Identifying policies that might help change the flow of people in and out of communities to eliminate resegregation would also help. Resegregation ‘Alert’ Recommendations
22. According to Frankenberg and Orfield (2012), there is an urgent need for a framework of national leadership and policy on these issues. These researchers suggest that if each suburb and its school district were part of a broader strategy with support and funding from federal and state agencies, local educational policy makers and school administrators might be less reluctant to take action to create stable, diverse communities. ‘Call to Action’ - Summary
23. Better understand the social-psychological underpinnings of parents' school choice decision process. More in-depth case studies including life history patterns and choices within families could contribute to these understandings. Parents in this study relied heavily on informal, word-of-mouth information-gathering activities. A study to determine the impact of media technologies on the quantity, quality, and type of information used by parents and their children during the search process might shed further light on possible improvements public school administrators could make to retain more students in the public educations system. Future Research
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