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School Choice in Massachusetts. Why Parents Choose Choice.

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Title: School Choice in Massachusetts. Why Parents Choose Choice.
Language: English
Authors: Massachusetts State Dept. of Education, Boston.
Availability: Executive Office of Education, One Ashburton Place, McCormack Building, 14th Floor, Boston, MA 02108.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 63
Publication Date: 1994
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Tests/Questionnaires
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Educational Quality, Elementary Secondary Education, Free Choice Transfer Programs, Parent Attitudes, Parents, Program Evaluation, School Choice, School Districts, School Safety, State Programs, Surveys, Transportation, Urban Schools
Geographic Terms: Massachusetts
Abstract: Initial studies of school choice in Massachusetts have concentrated on the mechanics of the program, but this report examines why parents choose school choice. A survey of Massachusetts families participating in school choice was completed by 826 families (return rate of 41.8%), representing 987 choice students, or about 23.5% of the estimated school choice population of Massachusetts in the 1993-94 school year. Over 42% of respondents indicated that academics were the most important reasons for choice. Just over 50% of respondents said that a lack of resources in their home districts was one of the reasons for school choice, and about 20% called that the primary reason. Only 15% of the respondents indicated that convenience was the primary reason for arranging a choice transfer. Safety was the most commonly cited nonacademic reason, and it was especially important in urban districts. Parents generally expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the new school, and approximately 71% said that they had seen improvement in their children's academic performances as a result of school choice. Transportation remained the most difficult aspect of the program for many parents in all areas. The report also gives a history of the Massachusetts choice law and a discussion of issues facing the program. Four appendixes present the questionnaire and statistics about participating districts. (Contains one map and five charts.) (SLD)
Entry Date: 1997
Accession Number: ED402359
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED402359
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  Data: School Choice in Massachusetts. Why Parents Choose Choice.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Massachusetts+State+Dept%2E+of+Education%2C+Boston%2E%22">Massachusetts State Dept. of Education, Boston.</searchLink>
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  Data: Executive Office of Education, One Ashburton Place, McCormack Building, 14th Floor, Boston, MA 02108.
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  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
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  Data: 63
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 1994
– Name: TypeDocument
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  Data: Reports - Evaluative<br />Tests/Questionnaires
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Quality%22">Educational Quality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Free+Choice+Transfer+Programs%22">Free Choice Transfer Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Attitudes%22">Parent Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Evaluation%22">Program Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Choice%22">School Choice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Safety%22">School Safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22State+Programs%22">State Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surveys%22">Surveys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transportation%22">Transportation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Massachusetts%22">Massachusetts</searchLink>
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  Data: Initial studies of school choice in Massachusetts have concentrated on the mechanics of the program, but this report examines why parents choose school choice. A survey of Massachusetts families participating in school choice was completed by 826 families (return rate of 41.8%), representing 987 choice students, or about 23.5% of the estimated school choice population of Massachusetts in the 1993-94 school year. Over 42% of respondents indicated that academics were the most important reasons for choice. Just over 50% of respondents said that a lack of resources in their home districts was one of the reasons for school choice, and about 20% called that the primary reason. Only 15% of the respondents indicated that convenience was the primary reason for arranging a choice transfer. Safety was the most commonly cited nonacademic reason, and it was especially important in urban districts. Parents generally expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the new school, and approximately 71% said that they had seen improvement in their children's academic performances as a result of school choice. Transportation remained the most difficult aspect of the program for many parents in all areas. The report also gives a history of the Massachusetts choice law and a discussion of issues facing the program. Four appendixes present the questionnaire and statistics about participating districts. (Contains one map and five charts.) (SLD)
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  Data: 1997
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  Data: ED402359
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 63
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Quality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Free Choice Transfer Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Choice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Safety
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: State Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Surveys
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transportation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Massachusetts
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: School Choice in Massachusetts. Why Parents Choose Choice.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Massachusetts State Dept. of Education, Boston.
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 1994
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