Research Library
If Families Matter Most, Where Do Schools Come In?
Author: Hoxby, C.
Publisher: Stanford University: Hoover Institution Press
Publication Date: 2001, October
Editor: Moe, T.
Page Numbers: 89-126
Book Title: A Primer on America's Schools
Summary or Abstract: This article by Caroline M. Hoxby, is a chapter in the book, A Primer on America’s Schools. The main theme in this chapter is school choice. Hoxby asserts that family effects and family involvement in a child’s education increase when school choice is an option. “One means by which parents can have a good ‘family effect’ on their child is by judicious control of their child’s experience at school.” Hoxby argues that educational reform measures such as vouchers and charter schools are more effective in increasing student outcomes and parent involvement than reforms that focus on school variables, i.e. per-pupil spending, class size, books per student, and teachers’ credentials.