The reform of a system that is interconnected with other systems and factors demands that its stability be assessed constantly, both as a whole and in its components. This was the purpose of a survey designed to discover, in connection with education, the perceptions, expectations, and attitudes of parents of upper-grade students in four regions that differ in terms of their social and economic situation. The author presents the results of the survey and provides a few general comments for the purpose of clarifying the survey's context and logic. The author shows that reforms in Russian higher education to bring it into compliance with the Bologna process are changing the ways in which parents and students choose which universities to attend, and the ways in which different levels of education are evaluated. (Contains 6 tables and 2 notes.)