Homeschool Parents and Satisfaction with Special Education Services |
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| Authors: | Albert Cheng Sivan Tuchman Patrick J Wolf |
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| Institution: | 1. Program on Education Policy and Governance, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USApwolf@uark.edu;3. Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACTHomeschooling is controversial for a variety of reasons. One concern is whether families are sufficiently equipped to serve students with disabilities. We investigate this issue by assessing parental satisfaction with the special education services that their child is receiving in various educational sectors (e.g., homeschool, traditional public, public charter, and private). Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. households from the National Household Education Survey, we find that parents who homeschool are more satisfied than parents of children in traditional public schools and a variety of private schools with the special education services that they are receiving. Despite obvious selection bias in our sample, we view parental satisfaction as one of many important indicators for the quality of special education services. The results from this study suggest that homeschooling is a potentially beneficial option for serving students with disabilities, though additional research examining other student outcomes would be invaluable. |
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| Keywords: | homeschooling parent satisfaction school choice special education |
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