Abstract
Problem. California experienced a drop in birthrate, which produced a drought of school-age children. This issue is plaguing school leaders, who are making efforts to compete for and attract students from a smaller pool. California is currently in a buyer's market for parents who can shop for what they believe to be the best schools for their children. This study sought to determine parents' perceptions of the elementary and middle-level independent school selection process, including perceptions of information sources and selection criteria used by parents from various ethnic backgrounds in the Pasadena area of Southern California. Purpose. This study provides important data that will allow school leadership to make informed decisions regarding marketing, outreach, and retention practices and strategies in independent schools. Methodology. This was a descriptive, quantitative study of the factors that influence parents to select independent schools and their sources of information. The researcher constructed an online survey instrument. Invitations were distributed to 953 families, and data were collected from 319 respondents. Comparison of mean scores of each factor and source was done for the group and by ethnicity to find levels of importance and differences. Findings and Conclusion. This study showed that, for the general population, teacher quality, academics, values and ethics, atmosphere, administration quality, and reputation are the most important factors for parents. Many factors tend to be more important to specific ethnicities. Extracurricular activities tend to be more important for Black/ African American and Hispanic/White parents. Quality of the administration, daycare, and enrichment opportunities tend to resonate most with Hispanic parents. Tuition tends to be least important to Asian, White, and Asian/White families. This study also showed that the most important source of information is word of mouth. Recommendations. This study revealed an opportunity for independent schools to develop targeted marketing campaigns highlighting the factors perceived as most important. There is also an opportunity to target the marketing material to the specific ethnicities most prevalent in the community. Because word of mouth is influential, marketing could target current families. Schools should place heavy emphasis on ensuring positive experiences for their current families, thereby promoting encouraging word-of-mouth interactions.