Parent Information for School Choice : The Case of Massachusetts. Report No. 19 / Charles L. Glenn and Others.

This study provides a detailed description of the process by which parents choose schools for their children and the process by which urban schools adjust to the necessity of convincing parents to choose them. The Parent Information Center programs in the Massachusetts communities of Boston, Cambridge, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, and Springfield are described, based upon on-site observations, reviews of policies and parent information materials, interviews with 150 parents, and responses to a questionnaire turned in by nearly 450 parents. The study also reviews research on motivations for parent choice of schools in the Netherlands, Scotland, France, and the United States. The findings indicate that: (1) a high proportion of parents in Boston and other Massachusetts cities that have adopted universal choice policies are able to send their child to their first choice school, and virtually all parents are able to send their child to one of their chosen schools; (2) the system of parent information and counseling is well organized; (3) parents appreciate the opportunity to consider more than one school; (4) a variety of factors, such as location, teachers, programs, school climate, and principals influence parents' choice of schools; and (5) informal communication networks are the most important source of information for many parents. Appendices include survey instruments and tables of data compiled from the survey. (SM)

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