While Denver Public Schools has seen high rates of participation in the district’s school choice system, there are still gaps among who participates and where students request to go, according to a new and written by the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
“We found that across all segments of the city, families are demanding higher-rated schools, but such schools are unevenly distributed,” the report states.
Students who were most likely to fill out a that the report analyzed, were white students who had high performing test scores or were already enrolled in highly-rated schools. Students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch participated less than affluent students ineligible for the lunch program.
However, students classified as English learners were more likely to participate in the school choice process than native-English speakers.
“Between 66 and 71 percent of English language learners participated, compared to 63 to 69 percent of native English speakers,” according to the report.
The difference the report authors found was that while most students who participate in selecting a school pick a top-ranking school as their first choice, minority and low-income students were less likely to do so.
Another factor the report highlighted as complicating the choice for high-quality schools is proximity.
“Families’ demand for highly rated schools, however, is in tension with a desire for proximity. Citywide, parents prefer to find a school close to home, but the demand for highly rated schools drives many families to choose schools out of their region,” the report states.
A report released last month by the University of Washington Bothell similarly found that while most Denver parents are happy with the school choice process, they still for the schools they choose.
Read the full A+ Report here:
