Parents' school choices were constrained by disability-linked safety fears and transportation barriers¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r? · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2028: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Parents' choices were constrained by fears for their child's safety and lack of transportation, with concerns particularly linked to the child's disability. → Cowhy 2023

Evidence¶

Cowhy 2023¶

Cowhy, J.R., Gordon, M.F., & de la Torre, M. (2023). Forced to choose: Lessons learned from families of students within special education. Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048231198814

q2 · i? · qualitative · r?

Interview findings report that "Parents’ choices were constrained by fears for their child’s safety and a lack of transportation," with interviewed parents noting safety and transportation concerns intricately linked to their child's disability, beyond concerns shared by parents of students without IEPs.

"Parents’ choices were constrained by fears for their child’s safety and a lack of transportation. While parents of students without IEPs often shared similar concerns, many parents we interviewed noted particular safety and transportation concerns that were intricately linked to their child’s disability."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A school's ability to implement a child's IEP was the first factor in parents' enrollment decisions, crowding out other school characteristics — related
• Many parents of students with IEPs lacked viable options to engage in school choice after forced school closings — related
• Rural SIG schools perceived transportation access and home-school distance as location-related barriers to parent involvement — related
• Rural school settings' distance from urban areas and long commutes can exacerbate the challenges struggling rural schools face — related
• Respondents in two of nine rural SIG schools saw transportation costs and catchment size as making it best to increase learning time within the existing schedule rather than extend the school day — related
• Rural SIG schools reported additional challenges from remote locations and large catchment areas beyond those reported by nonrural SIG schools — related
• Parents of students with IEPs share a common vision of an ideal school that is safe, supportive, academically strong, and inclusive with needed supports — related
• School location, distance from home, and transportation logistics constrained which high schools students considered and their ultimate choice — related
• After school closings, proximity to home was the deciding factor in families' enrollment choices, outweighing school ratings — related
• Interviewed families enrolled in designated welcoming schools because the schools matched their priorities, because they believed enrollment there was mandatory, or because barriers limited other options — related
• Most students reported a high degree of agency in deciding which high school to attend, though agency was constrained or absent for some — related
• Public school choice was constrained at the middle and high school levels because many districts have only one middle school and one high school — related
• Commuting distance, school demographics, and academics play important roles in parents' school choices in Washington, DC — related