Toward an understanding of parents

1
Toward an understanding of parents preferences
for schools

• Dr. Courtney A. Bell
• University of Connecticut/
• Educational Testing Service

2
Overview of presentation

• What parents say and do
• Two views of parents
• Methodology
• Overview of the argument
• Three examples
• Conclusions

3
What parents say and do

• Parents stated preferences are consistent and
  unsurprising
• Academic excellence, values that match their own,
  safety, and schools that are close to home.
• (Armor Peiser, 1997 Gill, Timpane, Ross,
  Brewer, 2001 Godwin, Kemerer, Martinez, 1998
  Henig, 1990 Holme, 2002 Lee, Croninger,
  Smith, 1996 Schneider Buckley, 2002 Schneider,
  Teske, Marschall, 2000)
• Parents revealed preferences suggest parents
  also value
• The racial and social class make-up of peers
• (Armor Peiser, 1997 Gill, Timpane, Ross,
  Brewer, 2001 Mickelson, 2005)
• We do not understand the disconnect between
  parents words actions.

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Guiding questions

• What is the nature of parents preferences?
• In what ways do interactions with schools shape
  parents preferences?
• How, if at all, do those interactions differ
  across groups of parents?

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Two views of parents

• Parents as consumers
• Rational choice theory (RCT)
• Parents gather information, have preferences, are
  limited by constraints, and make choices
• Choice hinges on preferences and constraints
• Parents as social actors
• Bourdieus (1984) theory of social practice
• Social practice field (habitus)(capital)
• Choice is shaped by parents positions,
  taken-for-granted views, and the resources they
  are able to use

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The study

• Choice rich district Weldon
• Prospective longitudinal interview study
• Purposeful sample
• School type
• Grade level
• Family income
• School status (Failing v. Non-failing)

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Methodology

• 3 interviews (60, 49, 34, respectively)
• 36 parents choosing 6th and 9th grades
• Longitudinal
• T1Feb March (in-person)
• T2June July (in-person)
• T3September October (telephone)

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The argument

1. Parents preferences were shaped by their
   interactions with schools.
2. Interactions shaped preferences by influencing
   the substance and weights of particular
   preferences, by shaping parents expectations,
   and by shaping their definitions of a good
   education.
3. The resources that accompany social class
   background contributed to both the similarities
   and differences across parents interactions with
   schools.
4. Poor and working class parents resources were
   less useful in mediating these interactions.
5. Preferences reflect both parents desires and the
   socio-historical characteristics of schooling
   markets.

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Shaping expectationsMrs. Carol and Denzel

• Poor African-American mother of 8th grader,
  Denzel
• Teachers saw Denzel as a good child who does not
  do his work
• Retained in 8th grade
• Mrs. Carol tried many techniques
• Expectations grew increasingly narrow

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Shaping expectationsMrs. Carol and Denzel

• If Im sending him to public school for free
  and hes going there and hes not putting forth
  no effort, then I would really be fighting a
  losing battle to spend all my money and send him
  over there pointing to the private school down
  the street and hes still Cause youve got to
  be motivated to learn, you know, and that starts
  from within. Andthats what IIm working on
  getting him motivated. And thats hard. (1st
  interview)
• Mrs. Carol explained, I never used to think
  this but I really hope I can get him through high
  school. Thats what Im focused on. Graduating.
  (2nd interview)

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Interactionsshaped expectations

• Home-school interactions
• Reinforced and changed expectations
• All parents experienced this
• The nature of the expectations differed
• 72 changed positively or had positive
  reinforcement
• 28 changed negatively or had negative
  reinforcement
• Of the 28, 90 were poor and working class

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Interactionsshaped expectations

• Middle class parents had more and more relevant
  resources
• Non-school
• Psychologists, testing experts
• Books, tutoring centers
• Historical experiences
• Their own
• Those of friends colleagues
• Different conceptions of parents role in
  schooling

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Shifting weightsMrs. Hawill and Alecia

• Middle class African-American mother of 8th
  grader, Alecia
• Highly motivated, wants to be a doctor
• In January, considering 3 schools 1 private, 2
  academic magnets
• Preferred schools with excellent academic
  reputations

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Shifting weightsMrs. Hawill and Alecia

• They the magnet schools didnt take her. And
  weve been in a battle. There were children in
  her class who scored less than Alecia and they
  got in and she didnt. So, Ive been meeting with
  people down at Weldon Public Schools. I have a
  meeting with the superintendent scheduled for
  the 15th of this month. And I told the last
  person I met at the school administration
  building that if the superintendent couldnt
  get me an answer, I would be calling the news and
  they can get me an answer. Her best friend got in
  and she was a 79. Its who you know. Thats what
  it is. Why take the test if they arent going to
  use it. There was a boy who scored in the 60
  percentile. He got in and she didnt. (2nd
  interview)

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Shifting weightsMrs. Hawill and Alecia

• Looked into another magnet school, a charter
  school, and a religious school
• Compared the schools based on school location,
  school size, positive learning environment,
  friends for Alecia, and strong academics
• Some preferences were new (school location
  friends)
• Some shifted in rank ordering (school size
  learning environment)

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Interactions changed the weights of particular
preferences

• All parents dealt with changing circumstances
• Not getting picked in the lottery
• Not passing the test for a magnet school
• Being unable to come up with the money or
  transportation that makes a first choice school
  possible
• Almost all parents had contingency plans

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Interactions changed the weights of particular
preferences

• Middle class parents had more resources to
  cushion those interactions end up with schools
  higher up on their lists
• Money, work schedules that matched school hours,
  personal connections, knowledge of how to work
  the system
• Poor and working class parents had fewer, and
  less powerful resources
• More respectful of established rules
• Few strategies to work around shifting
  circumstances

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Shaping the definition of a good education

• Many mothers attended court-ordered desegregated
  schools
• Were the first to cross class and color lines
• These experiences framed their preferences for
  their children's educations

19
Shaping the definition of a good education
Mrs. Feigan

• A successful engineer
• Integrated an all-white neighborhood and school
  in the early 1970s
• Very good student, attended the best possible
  public schools
• College was very difficult
• Preferred predominantly African-American private
  or religious schools that would preserve her
  sons self-esteem

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Shaping the definition of a good education
Mrs. Feigan

• When I went to college, it was predominately
  white because it was an engineering school. Very
  few women. It was really a struggle in all kinds
  of ways. But when I talked to friends of mine
  from high school who went to Howard and places
  like that, they said You know what? It was so
  different going there because they treated us
  kind of like kings and queens. And even when we
  were struggling, professors really took extra
  time to make sure that we knew concepts. That
  was not my experience at all. So I think now
  that its okay that theyre in a school with
  predominately African-American kids because the
  self-esteem part doesnt get lost. And if
  theyre strong enough coming up with that
  self-esteem, when they get to college where they
  mightwhere it might be predominately white,
  theyre still comfortable enough in their own
  self that they dont have to change the tone of
  their voice. They dont have to deny certain
  things like, Yeah, I like collard greens. Okay?
  Yes, I like watermelon. They wont have to deny
  that or feel like theyre second. I want them to
  be bolstered up enough tofeel they can stand up
  straight. So thats why theyre at Massey.

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Shaping the definition of a good education

• When you dont have any idea how big the
  universe is, its really hard to go beyond your
  mindset. I was blessed. I have seen other things
  so I feel like I know what I want for the boys.
• Mothers educational experiences shaped their
  definitions of a good education
• Schools play a role in parents preferences
• Prior policies shape responses to current
  policies

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Conclusion

• Parents preferences Parents actions
• Parents preferences Parents actions

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Conclusion

• Preferences are
• - Co-produced with the schooling market
• - Evolving
• - Susceptible to shifts in rank order
• - Historically situated
• Social, organizational, and historical
  characteristics of schooling markets shape
  parents preferences
• Parents preferences reflect more than an
  individuals desires

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Parents 5th and 8th Grade School Status, School
Type, and Racial Background, by Social Class
(proportion)
Social Class Status Social Class Status Participants
Poor/Working Class Middle Class
Previous school status
Failing .36 .25 .61
Non-failing .25 .14 .39
Previous school type
Neighborhood .14 .06 .20
Magnet .17 .06 .23
Charter .25 .08 .33
Religious .03 .11 .14
Secular private .03 .08 .11
Racial background
African-American .56 .33 .89
Latino/Hispanic .03 .00 .03
White .03 .06 .09
Total .61 .39 1.0