Skip to main content
Article
Parents’ want their voices to “matter”: Perspectives on school enrollment in a shrinking urban school district
Journal of Educational Foundations
  • Peggy Shannon-Baker, Georgia Southern University
  • Bradley Porfilio, San Jose State University
  • Bobbie Plough, California State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the school selection process of parents whose children attended an urban school district in Northern California. Like numerous urban school districts across the United States, the district highlighted in this study also encountered students exiting its schools for the past decade. The findings shared in this paper from a mixed methods case study of parents whose children attend school in the district. Data were based on a quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups. The data indicate parents consider several key factors when selecting schools for their children including academics, class size, and differentiated instruction and support for their children; the school and administration’s relationship to diversity and the community; and the overall enrollment process. The parents’ narratives also revealed educational leaders must create a culturally relevant learning community in order to ensure parents, students, and community stakeholders will garner the support, resources, curricula, and learning activities to stop the exodus of children from schools within the school district.

Comments

Copyright 2020 by Caddo Gap Press

Citation Information
Peggy Shannon-Baker, Bradley Porfilio and Bobbie Plough. "Parents’ want their voices to “matter”: Perspectives on school enrollment in a shrinking urban school district" Berea, KentuckyJournal of Educational Foundations Vol. 33 (2020) p. 77 - 94 ISSN: 1047-8248
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peggy-shannon-baker/80/