Policy Analysis no. 383
More Than Grades: How Choice
Boosts Parental Involvement and Benefits Children
by Philip Vassallo
Philip Vassallo is an educational consultant and writer. His work has been
published in the American School Board Journal, Principal, Young Children, and Day
Care and Elementary Education. Vassallo holds a doctorate in educational theory
from Rutgers University.
Published on October 26, 2000
Research shows that parental involvement in a child's education is a strong
predictor of student achievement: typically, the more involved the parent, the better
off the child. Yet the current structure of the kindergarten through 12th-grade
education system tends to marginalize parents. In most areas, government assigns
children to particular schools, and school boards and bureaucrats control
textbooks, curriculum, and other central aspects of a child's education.
Studies from school choice experiments suggest that school choice can be a
powerful engine for parental involvement--choice by its nature engenders a higher
level of parental participation than does the current system. Although a universal,
customer-driven system has not been tried, sufficient research exists to prove that
modified forms of choice--such as charter schools, vouchers, and private
scholarship programs--increase parental involvement.
Although most studies of school choice experiments have focused on academic
gains to children in choice programs, this study examines the many other benefits
that choice programs bring to students. For example, parents of children in school
choice programs (1) are more involved with their children's academic programs; (2)
participate more in school activities; (3) believe that their chosen school offers a
greater measure of safety, discipline, and instructional quality than did their
previous school; (4) are more satisfied with their children's education in a choice
program; and (5) are likely to re-enroll their children in the choice program.
The ultimate key to school reform is the parent. Once parents assume the
responsibility of advocating for and supporting their children's education, they will
become partners with educators to create the schools their children need. State
legislators should seek policies that return control of education to parents through
mechanisms like tax cuts and universal tuition tax credits. The adoption of such
measures promises to increase parental involvement and bring other important
benefits to children.