Are More Parents Choosing Homeschooling Over Private School?

THE CHOICE OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, OR HOME SCHOOLING
By Eric J. Isenberg
Occasional Paper No. 132
National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education

Are more families choosing home schooling over private schools?
Over the last decade and a half, the number of home schooled students has grown dramatically. An estimated 1.1 million students are now home schooled each year. Previous research suggests the family values and local school quality influence student enrollment decisions. However, it is less clear why some families may choose home schooling over other private schooling options. A new paper by Eric J. Isenberg uses data from the National Household Education Survey and secondary data sources to examine preferences for home schooling. The author finds that families are more likely to engage in home schooling if the mother has abundant time but scarce income, and if the state public school finance system is centralized, making Tiebout sorting less efficient and private schooling more costly. Preferences for home schooling are especially strong among well-educated parents with younger children. Home schooling of older children is more sensitive to child-specific behavioral needs.

New Occasional Papers from the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education can be viewed at http://www.ncspe.org/list-papers.php

Director Dr. Henry Levin
212-678-3857
Levin@exchange.tc.columbia.edu

General Information
212-678-3259
ncspe@columbia.edu