Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Having long recognized that information may be the “Achilles’ heel of choice,” scholars of school choice matters have shown that families’ relative abilities to obtain and use school information contribute to inequities in access to high-performing schools. Information disparities among parents impact school choice and are caused by a number of factors: the social networks that families can draw upon; the time and resources parents have to commit to school searches; and relative availability of district and school-disseminated information. Such information asymmetries have been shown to contribute to unequal schooling outcomes between students of different races and SES.

A growing literature on information interventions suggests that tailoring content to “consumers” in digestible formats encourages well-informed school decisions. Information interventions have taken the form of single-page lists, testimonials, and graphic data displays on websites. The studies reveal that the framing and provision of information are important indications that determine whether parents utilize the content. They also suggest questions about the comparative impact of different modes of information assistance; the preferences and needs of parents; and the possible differences in intervention effectiveness for various groups. School-based approaches involving school choice “counseling” have been recommended and enacted in some districts. For lower SES families in particular, scholarship shows that parents view their children’s current school as particularly reliable on educational matters. This qualitative research better informs policy makers and educational authorities about parents’ efforts to access information through schools and may potentially clarify ways in which school personnel can function as school choice liaisons.

In this study I analyze in-depth parent interviews through the lens of social capital theories. The potential for institutional agents to assist school families in their next-school selection depends on the manner in which social capital is created, sustained, and leveraged in low-SES urban communities. My research utilizes qualitative methods to examine families’ school selection experiences in Washington, D.C. These ethnographic interviews were conducted in Washington, DC to examine parents’ choice experience. The research approaches choice and information assistance from parents’ perspectives and uses documentary evidence as supplementary data sources. Preliminary findings reveal that few, if any, sending-school resources are committed to helping place transitioning students in desirable future enrollments. Schools assist parents and disseminate resources to varying degrees depending on district and school-level policies; parents’ effectiveness seeking resources or assistance; and ongoing relationships between families and school personnel.

District, state, and local leaders, as well as researchers, who are concerned with educational equity will eventually be responsible for confronting the disparate potential of families to make the most of school choice given information gaps. If school choice policies are to lead to greater equality of opportunity among all students, institutions will be required to find the best means of encouraging information accessibility and effective use. Overall, this inquiry extends our understanding of information interventions by exploring the experiences of urban school parents and the dynamics of parent-school interactions that result in school choice collaboration and critical information sharing.