by Darrell M. West

Taubman Center for Public Policy

Brown University

November, 2001

Executive Summary

Methodology

Why Children Are Sent to Private Schools

Past Attendance at Public Schools

Future Participation in Public Schools

Public School Changes That Would Attract Private School Attendees

Appendix: Survey Questions

 Executive Summary

In September, 2001, the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University conducted a survey of 423 Providence parents who send their children to private schools. The purpose of the study was to find out why parents sent their children to private schools instead of Providence public schools, and what changes might bring them back to the public schools. The survey was commissioned by the Providence School Department.

In this report, we break down the responses to our questions by whether the child attended a Catholic, secular non-religious, Jewish, or Christian Academy private school. Among the highlights of our study were the following:

1) Catholic school parents indicated the features that were most important to their decision to send their children to a private school included child safety, teacher quality, attention to children, and responsiveness to parents and students

2) Parents whose children attended a secular, non-religious institution said the factors most important to their decision to send children to a private school were teacher quality, attention to children, reputation, and responsiveness to parents and students

3) Those whose children attended a Jewish private school indicated the reasons most important to their school choice were religious education, child safety, attention to children, and responsiveness to parents and children

4) Parents whose children attended a Christian Academy cited class size, teacher quality, reputation, and attention to children as the most important factors in their decisions to send their children to private schools

5) the category showing the largest differences across type of private school was the availability of religious education. Sixty-six percent of Catholic school parents cited religious education as being very important, compared to 20 percent of secular, non-religious school parents, 88 percent of Jewish school parents, and 33 percent of Christian Academy parents

6) Forty-four percent of Catholic school parents said one of their children had attended a public school, compared to 45 percent of secular, non-religious private school parents, 12 percent of Jewish private school parents, and 67 percent of Christian Academy parents

7) Nine percent of Catholic school parents said their child had applied for a Providence public school but not been admitted. This compares to 25 percent of Jewish private school parents, 4 percent of parents whose child attends a secular school, and 0 percent of parents whose child attends a Christian Academy.

8) When asked whether they planned to send their child to a Providence public school in the future, 50 percent of Christian Academy parents said they did, compared to 38 percent of Jewish school parents, 25 percent of Catholic school parents, and 24 percent of secular school parents.

9) Seventy percent of Catholic school parents said there were changes in public school that would lead them to consider sending their children to public schools, compared to 72 percent of secular school parents, 60 percent of Christian Academy parents, and 38 percent of Jewish school parents

10) When asked about specific public school changes, Catholic school parents were most likely to name gifted programs (58 percent), followed by reading programs (47 percent), after school programs (46 percent), and new computers and Internet access (27 percent). Secular school parents were most likely to cite gifted programs (65 percent), reading programs (53 percent), after school programs (43 percent), and new computers and Internet access (24 percent).

Our survey was undertaken by the John Hazen White Public Opinion Laboratory of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University. Survey respondents were drawn from a data base compiled by the Providence School Department of parents who sent their child to a private school during the academic year 2000-2001. From the 4,614 Providence children who attended a private elementary or secondary school, we drew a random sample and conducted interviews with 423 parents of private school attendees. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish (where relevant) in order to reach as many parents as possible. Interviewing took place on September 22 to 24, 2001. Overall, the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.

The composition of the survey sample was very close to the overall population figures of private school attendees. According to the Providence School Department data base, 51 percent of Providence city residents attend a Catholic private school, which is nearly identical to the 52 percent of survey respondents whose children attended a Catholic school. Forty-one percent of the survey respondents attended a secular, non-religious private school, 2 percent attended a Jewish private school, 2 percent go to school at a Christian Academy, and we had no information on the specific private school attended for 3 percent of the survey respondents.

As part of the survey, Providence parents were asked to tell us how important each of 15 factors were in their decision to send their children to a private school. The following table shows the percentage of parents by school type indicating that each feature was "very important" in their school choice decision. The most important factors among parents whose children attended a Catholic school were the child's safety (94 percent), teacher quality (89 percent), attention to children (87 percent), responsiveness to parents and students (86 percent), school reputation (84 percent), class size (77 percent), diverse curriculum (68 percent), religious education (66 percent), diverse staff and administration (54 percent), student mix (48 percent), buildings (46 percent), extra-curricular activities (45 percent), location (44 percent), bilingual education (27 percent), and sports (27 percent).

For children who attend a secular, non-religious private school, parents indicated that the following factors were most important to their decision to rely on a private school: teacher quality (95 percent), attention to children (94 percent), reputation (88 percent), responsiveness to parents and children (83 percent), class size (81 percent), child's safety (81 percent), diverse curriculum (63 percent), diverse staff and administration (54 percent), student mix (46 percent), extra-curricular activities (42 percent), buildings (36 percent), location (32 percent), bilingual education (28 percent), sports (25 percent), and religious education (20 percent).

The most important features for parents whose children attended a Jewish private school were religious education (88 percent), child's safety (75 percent), attention to children (75 percent), responsiveness to parents and children (75 percent), teacher quality (62 percent), location (62 percent), reputation (62 percent), student mix (50 percent), bilingual education (50 percent), class size (38 percent), diverse curriculum (38 percent), sports (12 percent), diverse staff and administration (12 percent), buildings (0 percent), and extra-curricular activities (0 percent).

For children who attend a Christian Academy private school, their parents said that the factors most important to choosing to send their children to a private school were: class size (100 percent), teacher quality (100 percent), reputation (100 percent), attention to children (100 percent), child safety (86 percent), responsiveness to parents and children (71 percent), diverse staff and administration (57 percent), buildings (43 percent), student mix (43 percent), diverse curriculum (43 percent), religious education (33 percent), sports (29 percent), extra-curricular activities (29 percent), bilingual education (29 percent), and location (14 percent).

The category showing the largest differences across type of private school was the importance of religious education. Sixty-six percent of Catholic school parents indicated the availability of religious education at the school was very important to their decision to send their children to a private school, compared to 20 percent of secular, non-religious private school parents, 88 percent of Jewish school parents, and 33 percent of Christian Academy parents.

To determine what their experience was with the public schools, we asked parents whether at least one of their children had attended a public school in the past. Forty-four percent of Catholic school parents said one of their children had attended a public school, compared to 45 percent of secular, non-religious private school parents, 12 percent of Jewish private school parents, and 67 percent of Christian Academy parents.

When asked how long their child had attended a public school, 23 percent of Catholic school parents said their child had attended a public school for one year, 29 percent said two years, 14 percent said three years, and 16 percent indicated four years. For parents whose children attended a secular, non-religious private school, the numbers were similar.

Nine percent of Catholic school parents said their child had applied for a Providence public school but not been admitted. This compares to 25 percent of Jewish private school parents, 4 percent of parents whose child attends a secular school, and 0 percent of parents whose child attends a Christian Academy.

When asked whether they planned to send their child to a Providence public school in the future, 50 percent of Christian Academy parents said they did, compared to 38 percent of Jewish school parents, 25 percent of Catholic school parents, and 24 percent of secular school parents.

We also asked parents if there were changes in public elementary or secondary schools that would lead them to consider sending their children to public schools. Seventy percent of Catholic school parents said there were such changes, compared to 72 percent of secular school parents, 60 percent of Christian Academy parents, and 38 percent of Jewish school parents.

When asked about four specific changes (new computers, after school programs, reading programs, and gifted programs), Catholic school parents were most likely to name gifted programs (58 percent), followed by reading programs (47 percent), after school programs (46 percent), and new computers and Internet access (27 percent).

Secular school parents were most likely to cite gifted programs (65 percent), reading programs (53 percent), after school programs (43 percent), and new computers and Internet access (24 percent).

How many children do you have who attend an elementary or secondary school? __

How many of these children attend public elementary or secondary schools? __

How many of these children attend private elementary or secondary schools? __

We are interested in finding out why you send your child to a private school. Please tell us how important each of the following factors are to your decision to send your child to a private school: 1) very important 2) somewhat important 3) not very important 8) don't know 9) no answer

a) quality of building facilities

b) class size

c) child's safety

d) Teacher quality

e) Student mix

f) Location close to home

g) Sports program

h) Overall academic reputation

i) the personal attention your child receives

j) extra-curricular activities

k) bilingual programs

l) availability of religious education

m) school responsiveness to parents and students

n) diverse courses in the curriculum

o) diverse staff and administration

p) other (please specify: ____)

Have any of your children who attend private school ever attended a public school? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

If yes, which public school did they attend? _______

How many years did they attend public school? ____

Did your child apply to a Providence public school but not gain admission? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

If yes, which public school was that? ____

Do you plan to send your child to a Providence public school in the future? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

If yes, which one? ____

Are there any ways that the public elementary or secondary schools could change that would lead you to consider sending your child there? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

If yes, what would those changes be? ___

Would it encourage you to send your child to a Providence public school if the school had new computers and Internet access? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

Would it encourage you to send your child to a Providence public school if the school had after-school programs designed to add to the educational experience of students? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

Would it encourage you to send your child to a Providence public school if the school had special programs for enhancing reading skills? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer

Would it encourage you to send your child to a Providence public school if the school had special programs for gifted students? 1) yes 2) no 8) don't know 9) no answer