Examines the school choice process from both pupils' and parents' points of view. Reveals that students' choice of a school designed for technical instruction was not necessarily based on the greater technological emphasis offered. Found little connection between school quality and parental school choice and no connection between school quality…

This contribution is based on comparative case studies of secondary schools in England, the Netherlands and Scotland. The authors conclude that although opportunities for school choice are offered in a formal sense in each of the locations studied, in certain cases choice is not particularly encouraged. In order to explain this disparity between…

Investigates why (British) parents reject certain secondary schools for their children, drawing on data from the Parental and School Choice Interaction study. The main reason cited was transport or distance, followed by concerns about unacceptable pupil populations, ethnic composition, school environment, staff, head teachers, school reputation,…

Market-based reforms of state schooling systems have been justified by the benefits anticipated from encouraging greater inter-school competition in local schooling markets. Promoting increased school choice and competition by comparison were seen as a means of stimulating greater allocative, productive and dynamic efficiency in the schooling…

Both New Labour and the Conservatives are keen to emphasise choice and diversity in crucial areas of public provision--and particularly with regard to education and health. In this article, "FORUM" co-Editor Clyde Chitty concentrates on recent proposals by the two main parties for promoting greater choice in secondary schooling in…

Provides empirically based insights into preferences, perceptions, and responses of parents of students with special education needs to the 1990s restructured school system in England. Uses analyses of quantitative/qualitative data generated by a large-scale research study on school choice. Reveals depth and range of problems encountered by these…

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…

Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act allows schools to opt out of Local Education Authority control and become grant-maintained by central government. Supporters claim the practice will increase parental choice and improve standards; critics say it will reintroduce selection. This paper examines the measure's background and discusses five research…

A British headteacher ponders a tumultuous decade in school management. The national curriculum was one major problem. There have also been radical, deleterious changes in the ways schools are funded, governed, managed, planned, and inspected; how teachers are educated; and the terms and conditions of teacher employment. Competition for pupils has…

Examines interconnections between accountability, power, and control within the British education system, focusing on the 5-18 education. Although some of the structures and processes are very similar to those of the U.S. K-12 system, the British national system is highly centralized and highly market-driven, with a strong emphasis on parental…

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…

Discusses a parental choice case involving a rural (British) school with a 13+ transfer age to determine parents' use of the open enrollment system, effects of transport policy on exercising parental choice, quality of information provided, and factors influencing choice. Transportation was problematic. Four choice factors stood out: teacher…

Looks back on research about parental choice carried out ten years ago; explains how this was related to the contemporary policy agenda. Summarizes the main findings and critiques their shortcomings. Reviews policy developments in England and Scotland since then, describes the current policy agenda, and indicates how further research might…

Publication of school rankings based on raw data for various performance indicators was found to influence school choice and mobility strategies for elite and middle-class parents in England and France. Rather than promoting school improvement, publication led to unintended school coping strategies, such as marketing activities, student exclusion…

Examines how British school managers operating within a market culture seek to identify parental perspectives, so that these can influence school decision making. The three secondary schools studied varied in openness to parental viewpoints. Managers relied heavily on informal, ad hoc means of feedback, rather than systematic and planned…