Parent Experiences in Alabama Charter Schools: Satisfaction, Enrollment Decision-Making, and Special Education

Abstract

This sequential mixed-methods study explored the experiences of parents of students with and without disabilities across six Alabama charter schools, utilizing a survey and focus groups. The survey (n=460) examined parents’ satisfaction with various aspects of their child’s charter school, reasons for enrolling at their current school, and reasons for leaving their previous school. The subsequent focus groups (n=36) focused on challenges with and strengths of their respective schools, satisfaction with special education services, their experiences navigating the classification/diagnostic process, and their perceptions about inclusion at their school and charter schools more generally. The results suggest that there are few significant differences between parents of students with and without disabilities and that parents overall are satisfied with their child’s school and the special education services their children with disabilities were receiving.