School Choice Analysis

Enrollment patterns can show which schools (including magnet schools) are in demand and which are not. Parents may choose to send their students to a certain school for reasons such as:

1. Which programs are offered
2. Who the school leaders are
3. How far the school is from the student’s home
4. The demographic makeup of the school
5. Whether transportation is provided
6. What the school/program’s admission policies are
7. The reputation of the school in the community

We analyze districts’ student enrollment data to understand school choice patterns in the district, specifically where most students are transferring into and out of each school, including those students’ demographics (e.g., socioeconomic, ethnic, and gender characteristics), and then assess the impact of these movements on individual school enrollment and on the district as a whole. Using our student enrollment assessment models, we can generate tabular residence/attendance matrices and student statistics or create an interactive dashboard displaying these results (which can be better for large districts and/or districts with high choice rates). The data tells us the what and we can employ parent surveys and focus groups to help districts understand the why behind parent choices.

Middle school choice-in rates