Now What’s the Matter Buddy, Ain’t You Heard of My School?

Public-school choice programs have multiplied over the past decades. Previous researchers have analyzed the significant roles that parents play when deciding what they think is best for their children’s futures. Though research has shown the roles and factors over parents’ educational choices for their student, there are limited studies on student perceptions. This exploratory study hypothesized that high school students influenced where they went to school, considering various factors when they decided with their families on what public-choice educational institution they would attend. By surveying ninth-grade students at three different schools (magnet, charter, and traditional), this study focused on three research questions to provide insights about the important perspective of students. The study analyzed how informed students were about public-choice schools, what factors within schools were the most important to them, and how large of an influence they had in the negotiation process with parents when determining which high school to attend. The findings indicate that students receive the most information from their parents and peers, are most concerned about a school’s academic reputation, and play a role in discussing where they should attend school with their parents. Overall, the study shows the importance of including student perspectives within academic research, indicating the need for future research.