Schools & Homes Research Presentation for the Town of West Hartford by students from the

Schools & Homes

Research Presentation

for the

Town of West Hartford

by students from the

Cities, Suburbs, and Schools

Research Project @ Trinity College

with Professor Jack Dougherty

March 2007

View research on our web: www.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/CSS

http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/CSS





View research on our web: www.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/CSS






Two studies on schools & homes in West Hartford

Quantitative study:


Quantitative study:How much did elementary school test scores affect single-family home prices from 1996-2005, holding constant home and neighborhood characteristics?





Very brief summary:For a 12 percentage point increase (one standard deviation) in students meeting goal on 4th grade CMT, the average home price (about $190k) increased:




1.2% ($2,200) from 1996-2000




1.2% ($2,200) from 1996-2000

4.2% ($8,060) from 2001-2005

* all $ values indexed to Year 2000




1.2% ($2,200) from 1996-2000

4.2% ($8,060) from 2001-2005

* all $ values indexed to Year 2000


More details in forthcoming web report

Qualitative study:


Qualitative study:• How do suburban homeowners form perceptions about school quality?• How do these perceptions factor into their home purchase decisions?• Do these perceptions and decision-making processes vary across different groups?



Interviews with 89 recent homebuyers across all elementary school zones.



Interviews with 89 recent homebuyers across all elementary school zones.

Not random sample of sufficient size to generalize conclusions, but still valuable insights on school-home process


Shopping for Homes and Schools:A Qualitative Study of West Hartford, Connecticut

Christina Ramsay, Cintli Sanchez, Jesse Wanzer and the

Ed 308 Cities, Suburbs, and Schools seminar, with Professor Jack Dougherty

Trinity College, Hartford CTFall 2006

Cities, Suburbs, and Schools SeminarWe read noteworthy studies, then design and conduct small-scale parallel research projects to test whether author’s claims apply to metropolitan Hartford area

Noteworthy Studies

Parents engaged in

“Choice Work”

Importance of Social Networks

Social Construction of “Good” and “Bad”

Status Ideologies

Harvard Educational Review (2002)

Our Research Questions

• How do suburban homeowners form perceptions about school quality?

• How do these perceptions factor into their home purchase decisions?

• Do these perceptions and decision-making processes vary across different groups?

Study Area: West Hartford, CT

• Northeastern US suburb (60,000 residents)

• 11 elementary schools• 3 Middle and 2 High

Schools• Wide variation among

social groups– Low/High Income– Minority/Non-Minority

MethodsDesigned interview guide, with IRB approval.

• Reasons for buying in West Hartford

• Perceptions of West Hartford

• Perceptions of schools

• Sources of perceptions

• Demographics

Sample: Recent homebuyers (from WH Property Records, 2005) located within 0.25 miles of elementary school attendance boundary

MethodsConducted 89 usable interviews.Transcribed and coded interviews into thematic categories.

Interview pool (89 homebuyers):

with K-12 school-age children (38%)with or expecting any children (58%)

White (87%)Minority (11%)Unknown (2%)

Conard HS zone (49%)Hall HS zone (51%)

Median home sale price (in 2005 dollars) $277,000

Location of homebuyer interviews

Claim 1: Most homeowners who have or are expecting children obtain information from others in their social networks; not test scores, school

visits, or website information (“formal research”).

• Over 50 percent (29 out of 52) obtain information from social networks.

• Only 35 percent (18 out of 52) reported looking at test score information, websites or visiting schools.

• “Yeah word of mouth, I think people said ‘Hey, West Hartford Schools are good’” (Cintli 4).

• “There was one weekend that we were actually in a restaurant in the square and we were asking questions and we were in downtown Hartford asking questions in a bar there” (Cintli 3).

Claim 1: Most homeowners who have or are expecting children obtain information from others in their social networks; not test scores, school

visits, or website information (“formal research”).

Perceived importance of subjective factors over objective factors

Claim 2: Families who currently have (or are expecting) children with homes above median

price were more likely to do “formal research” than those below the median price ($277,000).

• Over 40 percent (13 out of 31) of families above the median reported looking for test scores, websites, or school visits.

• Only 25 percent (5 out of 20) of families under the median “researched”.

Above Median: “…you know we looked, we researched on the web and looked at the scholastic scores and generally we knew that West Hartford had a good school system” (Christina 5).

Above Median: “…looked at the test scores, demographics, programs that were offered, the cost per student that was spent…[unclear], and the after school programs that were available” (Jared 3).

Claim 2: Families who currently have (or are expecting) children with homes above median

price were more likely to do “formal research” than those below the median price ($277,000).

Claim 3: Minority homeowners who have (or are expecting) children were more likely to mention

schools as a factor than White homeowners.

• 100 percent (7 out of 7) minority homeowners mentioned schools as a reason for moving to West Hartford.

• 75 percent (33 out of 44) White homeowners mentioned schools as a reason for moving to West Hartford.

Claim 4a: Homeowners who mentioned schools as a reason were more likely to cite West Hartford

district overall, rather than a specific school.

• Over 70 percent (40 out of 56) mentioned district as a reason for moving to West Hartford.

• “…we didn’t weigh [school zones] heavily, we were just happy with the public school system in West Hartford. Period” (Cintli 2).

Claim 4b: Of the remaining 30%, those who mentioned a specific school were most likely to

mention Hall High School.

• 50 percent (7 out of 14) mentioned Hall over any other school.

Respondents Mentioning Schools as a Factor

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Hall Bugbee Conard Braeburn Duffy Webster Hill Wolcott

School Name

Number

• “My husband went to Hall, so he would prefer to move to the other side, once we have established our family” (Jesse 1).

• “…heard the differences between the Hall side and the Conard side”. (Ali 1).

• “Hall High School—definitely a factor” (Bianca 2).



• Struck by perceived superiority of Hall over Conard• Assumptions Valid?

– Hall: 18 AP, 1109 SAT, 49% CAPT– Conard: 21 AP, 1088 SAT, 43% CAPT

• Influences attendance patterns



Claim 5: One out of four homeowners who said that schools were a part of their home buying

decision were not able to accurately state both

their elementary and middle/high school zone.

55 homeowners stated that schools played a factor in their home buying decision.

Of those 55, 14 (25%) could not accurately state both their elementary and middle/high school zone.

Of the 14 who got either one wrong:

• 9 were incorrect about their elementary zone

• 8 were incorrect about their middle/high school zone.

• 3 were incorrect about BOTH

Possible reasons:

•Bought for resale value

•Wanted to be in district, didn’t care about particular school

•Private school

Claim 5: One out of four homeowners who said that schools were a part of their home buying

decision were not able to accurately state both

their elementary and middle/high school zone.

Claim 6: Most homeowners had positive views about West Hartford tax value regardless of

having school-age children.

• Over 65 percent (60 out of 91) felt they were getting value from taxes.

• “We have a lot of services that other towns don’t…like the town programs, the sports, the kids’ activities, that kind of stuff, in addition to the schools.” (Tyler 1).

• Both educational and non-educational reasons

Acknowledgements

Researchers who consulted with us by phone: Jennifer Jellison Holme; Andre Lois-Bechely

Trinity College guidance and support:Rachel Barlow, David Tatem, Lis Pennington

West Hartford community partner:Terry Schmitt, Board of Education member

Questions & Comments?

References• Andre-Bechely, L. (2005). Public School Choice at the Intersection of

Voluntary Integration and Not-So-Good Neighborhood Schools: Lessons From Parents’ Experiences. Educational Administration Quarterly. Vol 41. (2). 267-305.

• Jellison Holme, J. (2002). Buying Homes, Buying Schools: School Choice and the Social Construction of School Quality. Harvard Educational Review. Vol 72. (2). 177-205.

• See also the written report version of this presentation:

– Ramsay, C. et al. (2006), “Shopping for Homes and Schools: A Qualitative Study of West Hartford, Connecticut.” A Cities, Suburbs, and Schools research project report, Trinity College, <http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/educ/CSS>






Documents

Schools & Homes Research Presentation for the Town of West Hartford by students from the