School Choice in the United States: 2019

In 2016, a higher percentage of students who lived in cities (53 percent) than of those who lived in suburbs (37 percent), towns (36 percent), and rural areas (32 percent) had parents who reported that public school choice was available.

Parental choices about the school their children will attend depend on the options that are available. This indicator examines differences in the choices parents make and their satisfaction with their children’s school. Data come from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education (PFI) questionnaire of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). NHES asked parents about their perception of the availability of public school choice in their school district, whether they considered schools other than the one in which their children were currently enrolled, if the school in which their children were enrolled was their first choice, and if they had moved to a neighborhood so their children could attend a particular school. NHES also asked parents how satisfied they were with their children’s school and teachers, the school’s academic standards and order and discipline, and the school staff’s interaction with parents.

Figure 8.1. Percentage of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 whose parents reported having public school choice, by household locale and region: 2016

NOTE: Data exclude homeschooled children.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2016). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 206.40.

In 2016, about 41 percent of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 had parents who reported that public school choice was available to them. Public school choice was more common in some places than others. For example, a higher percentage of students who lived in cities (53 percent) than of students who lived in suburban areas (37 percent), towns (36 percent), and rural areas (32 percent) had parents who reported that public school choice was available. Additionally, the percentage of students whose parents reported that public school choice was available was highest for students in the West (53 percent), followed by students in the Midwest (43 percent), the South (39 percent), and the Northeast (27 percent).

Figure 8.2. Percentage of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 whose parents considered other schools, reported current school was their first choice, or moved to their current neighborhood for the public school, by school type: 2016

† Not applicable.
¹ Includes public school students only. Private school students are excluded.
NOTE: Data exclude homeschooled children.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2016). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 206.40.

The percentage of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 in 2016 whose parents reported that they considered other schools for their children differed by the type of school their children currently attended. A higher percentage of students who attended private, nonsectarian schools (57 percent) than of students who attended any other types of schools had parents who reported that they considered other schools. In addition, the percentages of students who attended private, religious schools (46 percent) and chosen public schools (43 percent) whose parents considered other schools were higher than the percentage of students who attended their assigned public school (21 percent).¹ The percentage of students whose parents reported that the school their children attended was their first choice was higher for students who attended private, nonsectarian schools and for students who attended private, religious schools than for those who attended public schools (whether chosen or assigned). Of students who attended public schools, the percentage of students whose parents reported that they moved to the neighborhood so their children could attend their current school was higher for students who attended their assigned schools (22 percent) than for students who attended chosen schools (11 percent).

Figure 8.3. Percentage of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 whose parents considered other schools, reported current school was their first choice, or moved to their current neighborhood for the public school, by family poverty status: 2016

¹ Includes public school students only. Private school students are excluded.
NOTE: Data exclude homeschooled children.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2016). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 206.40.

Parental decisions about schools also differed by family poverty status. In 2016, a higher percentage of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 from nonpoor households (31 percent) than of students from near-poor households (23 percent) or poor households (21 percent) had parents who reported that they considered other schools. Similarly, higher percentages of students from nonpoor households than of students from near-poor or poor households had parents who reported that the school their children attended was their first choice and that they moved to the neighborhood so their children could attend their current public school.

Figure 8.4. Percentage of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 whose parents considered other schools, reported current school was their first choice, or moved to their current neighborhood for the public school, by highest education level of parents: 2016

¹ Includes public school students only. Private school students are excluded.
NOTE: Data exclude homeschooled children. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2016). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 206.40.

In 2016, the percentages of students whose parents reported that they considered other schools, that the school their children attended was their first choice, and that they moved to the neighborhood so their children could attend their current public school were higher at each subsequent level of parental educational attainment, with some exceptions. For any of the three parental choices, there were no measurable differences between the percentages for students whose parents’ highest level of educational attainment was less than a high school diploma and students whose parents’ highest level of educational attainment was a high school diploma or GED.

In 2016, a higher percentage of Black students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 (31 percent) than of White students (26 percent) and Asian students (25 percent) had parents who reported that they considered other schools.² A higher percentage of White students (84 percent) than of Asian students (80 percent) and Hispanic students (78 percent) had parents who reported that the school their children attended was their first choice. Additionally, the percentage of Black students whose parents reported that the school their children attended was their first choice (70 percent) was lower than the percentages of White, Asian, and Hispanic students. Higher percentages of Asian students (27 percent) and White students (22 percent) than of Hispanic students (17 percent) and Black students (14 percent) had parents who reported that they moved to the neighborhood so their children could attend their current public school.

Figure 8.5. Percentage of students enrolled in grades 3 through 12 whose parents were very satisfied with various aspects of their children’s schools, by school type: 2016

NOTE: Data exclude homeschooled children.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2016). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 206.50.

Parents’ satisfaction with different aspects of their children’s school differed based on the type of school their children attended. Of students enrolled in grades 3 through 12 in 2016, a higher percentage of students who attended private schools (77 percent) than of students who attended chosen public schools (60 percent) or assigned public schools (54 percent) had parents who reported that they were very satisfied with the school. The percentage was also higher for those attending chosen public schools than assigned public schools. This same pattern was evident in parental satisfaction with academic standards, order and discipline, and staff interaction with parents. Additionally, a higher percentage of students who attended private schools (72 percent) than of students who attended chosen public schools (55 percent) and assigned public schools (54 percent) had parents who reported that they were very satisfied with the teachers at the school, but there was no measurable difference between the percentages for chosen and assigned public schools.

¹ A student is considered to be attending an assigned public school if the parent indicates that the school is the student’s “regularly assigned” school; a student is considered to be attending a chosen public school if the parent indicates that the school is not the student’s regularly assigned school (e.g., a traditional public school located outside the assignment boundary based on the student’s residence, a charter school, or a magnet school).
² See table 8.1 for school choice information by student race/ethnicity.

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