Parental Choice of Nondenominational Christian Education: Reasons for Choice, Exit, and the Types and Sources of Information Used
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2009 PARENTAL CHOICE OF NONDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: REASONS FOR CHOICE, EXIT, AND THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED Robert M. Hall University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Hall, Robert M., "PARENTAL CHOICE OF NONDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: REASONS FOR CHOICE, EXIT, AND THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED" (2009). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 694. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/694 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Robert M. Hall The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2009 PARENTAL CHOICE OF NONDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: REASONS FOR CHOICE, EXIT, AND THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Studies in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky By Robert M. Hall Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Charles Hausman, Educational Leadership Studies 2009 Copyright © Robert M. Hall 2009 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION PARENTAL CHOICE OF NONDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: REASONS FOR CHOICE, EXIT, AND THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED School Choice is a topic that finds itself at the top of school reform and political agendas across the United States, while also being a significant focal point in the educational literature. However, little attention in the debate has been placed on private, independent school choice – including private religious school choice – despite that data that shows “seventy-nine percent of all private schools had a religious affiliation in 1999– 2000: 30 percent . affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, and 49 percent with other religious groups” (U.S. Department of Education, 2002, p. 3) and that “initial research on school choice that concentrated on private schools did acknowledge that many parents are likely to choose a private school for religious values” (Bauch and Goldring, 1995). This study focuses on examining the choice behaviors of families who choose independent, nondenominational Christian education, including the reasons they choose to exit before graduation and including the central role of information sources in making such choices. The study uses Rational Choice Theory and Hirschman’s Exit, Voice and Loyalty Theory as theoretical frameworks in order to couch the findings. The conclusions of this study are further couched in a bi-modal framework that posits choice involves “foundational factors” necessary for further investigation of potential schools and “factors of ethos” that, in essence, “break the tie” in the choice process – leading families to choose one particular school over others. The findings of the study, similar to the findings within other school choice literature, show that word-of-mouth information sources – predominant in informal/relational connections – are clearly the “most helpful” and “most important” sources of information in the choice process. However, the importance of web-based sources and achievement test scores also are found to be significant information sources for families who choose private, nondenominational Christian Education. In addition, in this study the differences between exiters and families that reenroll are not shown to be statistically significant and, therefore, the author suggests that theories focused on the ongoing relationships between constituents and organizations, instead of theories related to exit such as Hirschman’s Exit theory, may be more beneficial in the ongoing school choice and school reform debates. KEYWORDS: School Choice, Christian Education, Rational Choice Theory, Hirschman’s Exit, Voice and Loyalty Theory Robert M. Hall April 13, 2009 PARENTAL CHOICE OF NONDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: REASONS FOR CHOICE, EXIT, AND THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED By Robert M. Hall Dr. Charles Hausman Director of Dissertation Dr. Patricia Browne-Ferrigno Director of Graduate Studies April 13, 2009 RULES FOR THE USE OF DISSERTATIONS Unpublished dissertations submitted for the Doctor’s degree and deposited in the University of Kentucky Library are as a rule open for inspection, but are to be used only with due regard to the rights of the authors. Bibliographical references may be noted, but quotations or summaries of parts may be published only with the permission of the author and with the usual scholarly acknowledgements. Extensive copying or publication of the dissertation as a whole or in part also requires the consent of the Dean of the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky. A library that borrows this dissertation for use by its patrons is expected to secure the signature of each user. Name Date DISSERTATION Robert M. Hall The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2009 PARENTAL CHOICE OF NONDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: REASONS FOR CHOICE, EXIT, AND THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Studies in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky By Robert M. Hall Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Charles Hausman, Educational Leadership Studies 2009 Copyright © Robert M. Hall 2009 This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Kristine, and my children, Charlie and Grace. Thanks for graciously and patiently putting up with a part-time husband and dad for the last four years. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Charles Hausman, for his enormous help, advice, guidance, and dedication. Through unique and difficult circumstances you always kept a steady hand. I would also like to thank committee members Dr. Lars Bjork, Dr. John Harris III, Dr. Beth Rous, and Dr. Eugenia Toma. Your time and effort in reading, reviewing, and offering suggestions and edits did not go unnoticed. To the entire staff at “Christian College Prep” – especially the Head of School’s Office and Staff and Faculty of the Middle School – your patience and support of an often absentminded colleague is the only thing that allowed me to finish. To my “unofficial” editors – Drs. Sara Chapman and Emily Hannah – thanks for the extra eyes, the time, the patience and the advice you offered. Having a couple of ex- college presidents in the family sure pays off. Finally, to my mom, Jane Hall, thanks for letting me barge in for days at a time for uninterrupted times of writing. A place to crash, good meals, and great discussion allowed for some sanity throughout the whole process. Not bad for a guy who barely graduated from High School, huh? iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements............................................................................................................iii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii Chapter One: Parental Choice of Nondenominational Christian Education: Reasons for Choice, Exit, and the Types and Sources of Information Used.......................................... 1 The Changing Face of School Choice ............................................................................ 2 Research Questions......................................................................................................... 4 Chapter Two: Literature Review ........................................................................................ 5 Communal Values and Privatization: Linkages to School Choice................................. 5 The Struggle over Communal Values in Public Education ........................................ 6 Private Christian Education Driven by Communal Values ........................................ 7 Privatization as a Means for Social Reform ................................................................. 11 Privatization and School Choice as Education Reform in the U.S. from 1970 – Present....................................................................................................................... 13 Recent Court Rulings Related to the Use of Race in K-12 Public School Admissions 15 The Magnet School Movement of the 1970’s .............................................................. 16 The Charter School Movement of the 1990’s............................................................... 17 The Move Toward Vouchers ........................................................................................ 19 Sources and Types of Information Choosers Use......................................................... 21 Informal/Relational Sources of Information............................................................. 25 Formal/Media Sources of Information...................................................................... 27 School-Based Sources of Information ...................................................................... 28 Parents’ Reasons for Choice........................................................................................