After school closings, proximity to home was the deciding factor in families' enrollment choices, outweighing school ratings¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2024: local conditions change quickly

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Families whose children's schools were closed based enrollment decisions first and foremost on location, choosing higher-rated schools primarily when nearby. → Sebring 2021

Evidence¶

Sebring 2021¶

Sebring, Sall, Kheraj, Davis, Allensworth, de la Torre, & Beechum. (2021). Research and Engagement Agenda, 2021–25. UChicago Consortium on School Research. https://www.5-essentials.org/cps/5e/2018/s/610268/essentials/families/#trends?c=district&o=-change

q2 · i? · review · r2

The agenda reports, citing its study of school closings (de la Torre et al. 2015), that "most families based their decision first and foremost on location"; students traveled about the same distance regardless of school rating. Families also defined quality as afterschool programs, curricula, small classes, welcoming environments, and one-on-one attention.

"Whether they enrolled in a designated welcoming school, a higher-rated school, or a lower-rated school, most families based their decision first and foremost on location."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• School location, distance from home, and transportation logistics constrained which high schools students considered and their ultimate choice — related
• Setting the default sort order to academic performance instead of distance from home induces parents to choose academically higher performing schools — related
• Parents' school choices were constrained by disability-linked safety fears and transportation barriers — 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
• For many families, academic quality meant factors different from the district's performance policy rating, such as after-school programs, class sizes, and school environment — related
• Proximity to home was the primary reason families enrolled their children in lower-rated schools instead of their designated welcoming school — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Proximity and relocation into the closed school building strongly predicted enrollment in designated welcoming schools — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Many parents of students with IEPs lacked viable options to engage in school choice after forced school closings — related
• A school's ability to implement a child's IEP was the first factor in parents' enrollment decisions, crowding out other school characteristics — related