Vj. Martinez et al., THE CONSEQUENCES OF SCHOOL CHOICE - WHO LEAVES AND WHO STAYS IN THE INNER-CITY, Social science quarterly, 76(3), 1995, pp. 485-501
Objective. A naturally occurring experiment in both public and private
school choice is examined to identify who the choosing families are a
nd how they differ both from one another and from families whose child
ren remain in attendance zone public schools. The studied population i
s largely Latino and almost entirely low-income. Methods. Multivariate
techniques are employed to model the characteristics of the choosing
families. Results. The models reveal that public and private choosers
have much in common, including mother's education and high parental in
volvement. Choosing parents have significantly higher educational expe
ctations for their children than nonchoosing parents. Conclusions. The
findings indicate that, before a child reaches school age, parents sh
ould receive information about the benefits of education and choice op
tions. Choice programs will increase or decrease equality of opportuni
ty depending on program design.