Brief Issue 7 Fall 2014 - School Choice Complex Choices: How Parents Navigate School Options in Duval County

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

School Choice Complex Choices: How Parents Navigate School Options in Duval County analyzes how public education enrollment options have expanded, with a focus on Duval County and Florida. Using enrollment data from more than 200,000 DCPS students over five years and a survey of 1,000+ parents, it examines shifts from traditional neighborhood schools toward charter, virtual, private, and other choices. Findings highlight teacher quality and safety as top decision factors and show no significant average learning differences for fifth to sixth graders staying or moving outside neighborhood zones.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

What Is School Choice?

A Complex and Expanding Array of Choices

How Parents Choose, Where Students Go, and How They Perform

How to Make the System Better for Students and Families

What Parents and Caregivers Can Do

IN Brief Issue 7 Fall 2014 SCHOOL CHOICE COMPLEX CHOICES: HOW PARENTS NAVIGATE SCHOOL OPTIONS IN DUVAL COUNTY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The landscape of school choice options in public education has been expanding faster than ever over the past decade, nationwide and especially in Florida . With this expansion has come an unprecedented array of new decisions that parents and guardians must learn to navigate as they seek the best school for their children . Options available to students now — from traditional neighborhood schools to charter schools, virtual schools and private schools, among others — can differ greatly in terms of curriculum and testing requirements, classroom structures, application procedures, parent requirements and more. This report takes a closer look at the evolution and impact of various school choice options in Duval County. We examined the enrollment patterns of more than 200,000 students in Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) over the past five years, and surveyed more than 1,000 parents of students in all types of schools across Duval County to better understand what they look for in choosing the right school for their children . Findings indicate an increasing number of parents moving their children out of traditional neighborhood schools to choice options over the past several years —particularly during the transitions to middle and high school. Despite many parents’concerns about academic and safety issues at their neighborhood middle or highschool, we found no significant differenceson average in fifth to sixth grade learning gains between groups of students staying within or moving outside of their neighborhood zoned school. Nearly across the board, parents at all types of schools rated teacher quality and safety among the most important factors to them in evaluating the best school for their children . Our recommendations, which can be found on page 9 of this brief, include a number of specific ways that state or district systems and individual schools of any type can better address parent concerns and priorities, as well as tips for caregivers looking to identify the best school option for their own children . | IN THIS REPORT | | --- | | HOW PARENTS CHOOSE
WHERE STUDENTS GO,
AND HOW THEY PERFORM
HOW TO MAKE THE SYSTEM BETTER FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
WHAT PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS CAN DO | A REPORT BY THE JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND THE LANDSCAPE OF SCHOOL OPTIONS WHAT IS SCHOOL CHOICE? “School choice” is a broad term commonly used to refer toa variety of public school enrollment options designed to give students an opportunity to go to a school outside of the traditional neighborhood school they are zoned to attend. Some of the more prominent options under the umbrella of school choice include magnet programs and schools, charter schools, private schools, virtual education, home schooling, and other district transfer programs . Though each of these options falls under the broad umbrella of “school choice,” each one varies in terms of structure, oversight and services for students . (See the included School Choice Reference Guide for definitions of each) . Individual student needs, abilities, and interests, as well as school costs, location, size, and surrounding community all factor in differently to each family’s decision about what choice is best for their child. We’ll look more at how parents in Duval County weigh these different factors in choosing a school inan upcoming section . First, though, we’re going to look at how the expansion of all these options has changed the landscape of student enrollment statewide and in Duval County over the past several years . A COMPLEX AND EXPANDING ARRAY OF CHOICES According to a recent report from the Council of Chief State School Officers, Florida leads the nation in the number of school choice options available to students, and was also one of the first states to offer publicly funded private school c

FAQs

What does the report mean by “school choice” in public education?

“School choice” refers to a range of public school enrollment options that let students attend a school outside their traditional neighborhood assignment. It includes options such as magnet programs, charter schools, private schools, virtual education, home schooling, and district transfer programs.

What data sources does the report use to study school choice in Duval County?

The report analyzes enrollment patterns for more than 200,000 students in Duval County Public Schools over the past five years and surveys more than 1,000 parents of students across all types of schools in Duval County.

What factors do parents rate as most important when evaluating school options?

Across nearly all types of schools, parents rated teacher quality and safety among the most important factors for choosing the best school option for their children.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian