Choice, charter schools, and household preferences

Objective. Previous research indicates that minority and low-SES households have different preferences for schools than Angle and high-SES households. Some fear that in a system of school choice, these differences will result in segregation by race and class. Methods. This research analyzes new data generated by 1,100 interviews of choosing parents. Results. While there ar e differences between racial/ethnic and income groups in terms of their pre ferences regarding their children's schools, the differences do not extend to the parents' common concern for academic excellence. Where value sets do differ, they seem to do so because of differences in the "real-world" circ umstances faced by these two groups rather than due to a failure to value s chool quality, as previous research sometimes implies. Conclusions. These d ata do not support the argument that the central educational preferences of households differ by race and/or class, nor the implication that school ch oice programs will promote racial and class segregation.