Parents Want Their Voices to “Matter” - Perspectives on School Enrollment in a Shrinking Urban School District

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw

This study examines the school selection process of parents whose children attended an urban school district in Northern California experiencing a decade-long student exodus. Using a mixed methods case study, the research draws on a quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups. Findings show parents weigh academics, class size, and differentiated instruction and support, along with how schools and administration relate to diversity and the community. Parent narratives further indicate educational leaders must build a culturally relevant learning community to retain parents, students, and resources needed to halt enrollment decline.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Theoretical Perspectives

Parents Want Their Voices to “Matter”: Perspectives on School Enrollment in a Shrinking Urban School District Peggy Shannon-Baker Brad J. Porfilio Bobbie Plough The Journal of Educational Foundations Vol. 33, No. 1, 2, 3, & 4 2020, pp. 77-94 Copyright 2020 by Caddo Gap Press Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the school selection process of parents whose children attended an urban school district in Northern California. Like numerous urban school districts across the United States, the district highlighted in this study also encountered students exiting its schools for the past decade. The findings shared in this paper from a mixed methods case study of parents whose children attend school in the district. Data were based on a quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups. The data indicate parents consider several key factors when selecting schools for their children including academics, class size, and differentiated instruction and support for their children; the school and administration’s relationship to diversity and the community; and the overall enrollment process. The parents’narratives also revealed educational leaders must create a culturally relevant learning community in order to ensure parents, students, and community stakeholders will garner the support, resources, curricula, and learning activities to stop the exodus of children from schools within the school district. Peggy Shannon-Baker is an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading in the College of Education at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia. Brad J. Porfilio is a professor and director of the Educational Leadership Ed.D. Program in the College of Education at San Jose State University, San Jose, California. Bobbie Plough is a retired associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education and Allied Studies at California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California. Their e-mail addresses [are: pshannonbaker@georgiasouthern.edu](are: pshannonbaker@georgiasouthern.edu), [porfilio16@aol.com](porfilio16@aol.com), & [bobbie.plough@gmail.com](bobbie.plough@gmail.com) Keywords: Urban Schools, Culturally Responsive Leadership, School Selection Process, and Mixed Methods Case Study Introduction Over the past decade, the number ofK-12 students attending U.S. public schools in urban centers across the country has shrunk enormously (Aron, 2017; DeNisco, 2013; McCoy, 2016). For instance, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUD), which had its district’s enrollment peak“in 2004 at just under 750,000, began to drop”(Aron, 2017). Gradually, schools within the district, which were once overcrowded, became underenrolled (Aron, 2017). According to school board member Ref Rodriguez, the LAUD currently contains “buildings built for 1,000 kids,” but has“something like 400”kids per building (Aron,2017).In 2018, the District’s enrollment was about 453,000 students (Blume, 2019) . The District now grapples with a lack of resources to support its under-enrolled schools. It is now a cash-poor and land-rich district (Aron, 2017) . One of the most important factors behind the shrinking of urban K-12 schools across [the U.S. is](the U.S. is) school choice. School choice stands asa pillar of the corporate reform movement in education (Anyon, 2014; Gilbert, 2019; McLaren, 2015) . In fact, school choice is viewed by some as the solution to a U.S. public school system that is often described as failing. According to numerous scholars, school choice shows no sign of going away as more for-profit corporations seek to pull students away from existing public schools through opening and managing charter schools (DeArmond, Jochim, Lake & University of Washington, 2014) . For-profit corporations feed their coffers when they manage the schools, construct buildings to launch schools, sell curricula, and sell supplies and services so as to support day-to-d

FAQs

What problem does the study address in the urban district?

The district has faced a decade-long exodus of students, leading to underenrollment and reduced resources for schools and the broader community.

How was the research conducted?

The study used a mixed methods case study design with an online quantitative survey followed by qualitative focus groups with parents.

Which factors do parents consider when selecting schools?

Parents consider academics, class size, and differentiated instruction and support, as well as the school and administration’s relationship to diversity and the community.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw