Should You Meet the Parents? The Impact of Information on Non-Test Score Attributes on School Choice

Understanding parental response to non-test score attributes is crucial to design effective school choice systems. We study an intervention providing hard-to-find information on the school environment at local institutions, while holding information on school performance constant. Outflow to private...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2024
Main Authors: Facchetti, Elisa, Neri, Lorenzo, Ovidi, Marco
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Education
Finance
Information technology
Parents & parenting
Schools
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:Understanding parental response to non-test score attributes is crucial to design effective school choice systems. We study an intervention providing hard-to-find information on the school environment at local institutions, while holding information on school performance constant. Outflow to private education is reduced by 17%, with larger responses among advantaged students. Parents respond by increasing take-up of offers from local schools, intensifying competition for seats. Social interactions increase the program’s impact by 40%. Consistent with our interpretation, the intervention does not affect parental demand for school performance. We conclude that simple, low-cost interventions can improve state schools’ finances and peer quality.