The Socio-Cultural Influences of School Choice

This dissertation explored whether the marketable features of three different charter schools in East Atlanta, Georgia influenced parents’ school selections and whether differences in race, income level, and educational attainment created patterns of interest regarding their selections. The accessible population (N=1865) for this study included parents of elementary and middle school aged children enrolled in three East Atlanta schools. A sample of 150 parents of elementary and middle school age charter school students enrolled in the three schools were randomly selected from the accessible population. One hundred percent of the proposed participants (150) agreed to participate as subjects. Data obtained for this study were analyzed using between-subjects designs and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) statistical procedures. Post hoc analyses were conducted for significant findings. Factors for the designs included race, income level, and educational attainment. The dependent variable included the marketable features of charter schools. Null hypotheses were tested at the .05 probability level. The findings indicated that parents of elementary and middle school age charter school students enrolled in three charter schools located in East Atlanta, Georgia, rated the importance of the marketable features of charter schools differently based on their race. However, there was no statistically significant difference in participants’ rating of the importance of the marketable features of charter schools based on their income level or educational attainment. The findings and implications of the present study contribute to the knowledge base surrounding school choice. Limitations of the study were discussed and recommendations for future research were presented