This article describes the social and economic "segregation" of students between schools in England, and the likely causes of its levels and changes over time. It involves a re-analysis of the intakes to all schools in England 1989-2011, and shows how strongly clustered the students are in particular schools. The pattern for primary-age…

Previous international work has shown that clustering pupils with similar characteristics in particular schools yields no clear academic benefit, and can be disadvantageous both socially and personally. Understanding how and why this clustering happens, and how it may be reduced, is therefore important for policy. Yet previous work has tended to…

This article has two chief purposes. It presents a substantive reappraisal of a decade of school choice research in the UK. This reappraisal is used as a case study illustrating the elasticity of the notion of social science "evidence", when wielded by academics in an area where strong ideological preconceptions struggle with the lack of…

This paper is in part an answer to the question posed in a recent issue of "Educational Researcher" by Goldhaber: "School choice: do we know enough?" It also summarizes the results on the relationship between school choice and social segregation in the United Kingdom. Data used in this paper come from several sources, including…

Uses responses from a large-scale survey of school choice in South Wales to predict the type of school that respondents will choose based on their personal characteristics and the choice criteria they report using. The developed models, based on responses from 1 parent and a child when possible from 794 families, are about 90% successful in…

A study of 794 families in South Wales clearly suggests that parents' and children's reported roles in selecting a new school are susceptible to variations over time. A three-step model predicts that simply dividing families into "alert" and "inert,""disconnected" and "privileged," or…

In the United Kingdom the number of parents appealing rejection of their preference for their child's school has risen considerably. Suggests dissatisfaction with the new market-based system. Possible causes are discussed. (Contains 2 tables, 7 figures, and 23 references.) (MLF)

In light of recent British government reforms, a study of school choice in 33 local schools suggests some effects of increased marketing of schools. Notes that the market for cheap fee-paying schools has been established for a long time, and posits that some of the benefits or damage caused by markets in education should be observable in…

Considers the notion of schools in a "spiral of decline," in which less popular schools within a market system lose numbers and increase their proportion of socially disadvantaged pupils over time. Using data derived from all secondary schools in England from 1989 to 1999, finds little evidence for any increase in the existence of such…

Examines factors influencing choice of a new school, using data from a large-scale study in Wales. The "domino effect" sometimes covers three generations; decisions made today reflect, but are not identical to, past decisions. Simple reproduction cannot explain this diversity. Consumer nostalgia may lead schools to conservatism and…

This paper reviews the use of a segregation ratio in analyzing changes in the pattern of socioeconomic segregation between schools in England and Wales, addressing how the modifiable areal unit problem affects results. Researchers are developing methods for assessing socioeconomic stratification among school admissions and for comparing those…

This book examines the trend toward markets in UK schools by outlining the varied economic and political arguments both for and against increased parental choice. It describes how choice actually takes place--including when the choice takes place, who has the final say, how many schools are considered, and which choice criteria are reported. One…

This paper considers the possible impact of market forces on educational achievement in English and Welsh secondary schools. A major argument made by market advocates in favor of extending programs of school choice was that this would drive up standards. However, despite 12 years of relevant experience in the United Kingdom, it remains very…

Summarized findings from a study of school choice in publicly funded schools in England and Wales, analyzing changes over time in students' characteristics and performance. Results indicated that the socioeconomic stratification of students declined after the introduction of choice policies. Standards in publicly funded schools rose relative to…

This study examines whether some English and Welsh secondary schools have consistently lost market share since 1988, whether the same schools are becoming relatively more socially disadvantaged in socioeconomic terms, whether the schools are in a spiral of decline, and whether the spirals of decline are caused by school choice. It outlines changes…