Date of Conferral
2021
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
J D. Jones
Abstract
The demand for charter schools has increased during last two decades. Scholarly literature lacked deeper understanding of the perspectives of administrators and parents on transportation availability with respect to equal access to charter schools and how transportation is perceived to affect parental capability or willingness to enroll children in charter schools. This basic qualitative study, with the theory of school choice as the framework, used interviews with 8 parents of students enrolled in charter schools and traditional public schools and 4 administrators of charter schools. Two research questions focused on administrator and parent perspectives about transportation availability with respect to equal access to charter schools. Data were analyzed using open coding and thematic analysis aligned with key constructs of the theory of school choice. Key findings from parents indicated that families needed transportation to be able to have their children attend charter schools and that parents perceived charter schools having less diversity when compared to neighborhood schools. Further key findings, from the administrator perspective, included a need for consistent transportation to allow equity in access to charter schools and that intentional administrative decision-making must be present in order to extend charter schools access to more families. Recommendations included administrators using creative busing options to reach more families, administrators listening to families to understand needs, and administrators reaching out to diverse populations to help them navigate attendance at charter schools and hear their needs.
Recommended Citation
Summers, Amy, "Parent and Administrator Perspectives Regarding Transportation Availability and Student Enrollment at Charter Schools" (2021). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 10007.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/10007
