Resident Parents' Perception and Attitudes toward Open Enrollment, Inter-district Pupil Transfer Practices

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Department

Educational Administration

Date of Award

Fall 2018

Abstract

Parents of school-aged children currently find themselves with a wide range of school choice to meet their social, philological, and educational needs. The parents that opt to invoke their choice option are willing to pay tuition, travel greater distances and/or relocate their families for better schools or educational opportunities. In many cases, a parent looking for better schools or school districts is looking for anything but public education. To reclaim the surge of parents' choice beyond public education, public education is redefining itself to meet the parental demands redefining the educational market. Public schools are becoming schools of innovation that are tailored to specific programs or school of choice and are routinely embracing open enrollment, inter-district practices that blur the traditional, neighborhood public school attendance boundaries. As parent choice continues to increase to the point that neighborhood schools now host significant numbers of families that reside in neighboring towns or school districts, it is important to explore the perceptions and attitudes of resident parents to open enrollment, inter-district school policies and practices. This is vital as open enrollment, inter-district strategies are being defined by the state agency or independent school districts. The common practices of open enrollment, inter-district transfers are ensuing, and the perceptions and attitudes of resident families that are politically empowered, financially supported, and emotionally invested in their neighborhood school may influence the course of action and may need to be considered in the development of practice and policy. The purpose of the researcher was to analyze resident parents' attitudes toward and perceptions of open enrollment, inter-district transfer policies and practices, using Q-sort methodology. Such data has informed public independent school district personnel about the enrollment policy and practice of choice.

Advisor

Chuck Holt

Subject Categories

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Leadership

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