Jackson, Mississippi—Mississippi First is pleased to announce the release of the 2023 Public Perception of Charter Schools survey report, which provides critical insights into public understanding and support of charter schools in Mississippi. This comprehensive survey was conducted by the Survey Research Lab (SRL) at Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center.
The survey captured responses from a representative sample of 534 Mississippi public school parents, divided into two groups: non-charter parents and charter parents. This year’s findings highlight evolving perceptions and knowledge about charter schools among these groups.
Key Findings
- Familiarity with Charter Schools
- The percentage of charter parents “very familiar” with charter schools decreased from 81.8% in 2020 to 73.3% in 2023.
- Among non-charter parents, those “not at all familiar” with charter schools surged from 27% in 2020 to 46% in 2023.
- Recognition of Charter Schools as Public Schools
- The percentage of non-charter parents correctly recognizing charter schools as public schools rose from 47.0% to 58.4%.
- Support for Charter Schools
- Both charter and non-charter parents support charter schools in their communities at high levels, with 93% of charter parents and 70.3% of non-charter parents endorsing charter schools in their communities.
- Access to High-Quality Schools
- Only 17.1% of charter parents and 9.8% of non-charter parents believe that all children in their communities have access to high-quality schools, indicating a continued need for better public schools in charter-eligible communities statewide.
Additionally, the survey explored charter parent satisfaction with various aspects of charter schools, including individualized instruction, meaningful homework assignments, fair discipline, relationships with school staff, academic progress, and support for students with disabilities or special needs. Parents were also asked to grade their child’s charter school, whether they would recommend it to other families, and indicate their re-enrollment plans for the next academic year.
Executive Director Rachel Canter stated, “This report sheds light on how public school parents in charter communities perceive charter schools. It also provides insight on charter parent satisfaction with their children’s schools. We are hopeful the results of this report will help policymakers better understand how to build charter school awareness and how to support charter schools in improving their services to families.”
Mississippi First is a non-partisan, nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization whose mission is to champion transformative policy solutions ensuring educational excellence for every Mississippi child. We are a leading voice for high-quality early education, high-quality public charter schools, and access to highly effective teachers and leaders.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 11, 2024
Mississippi First
Brooke Williams
Director of Communications
brooke@mississippifirst.org
601.398.9008