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This report analyzes the reasons why parents in Minnesota choose to homeschool their children. The survey, on which the report is based, is part of a larger study examining each of the types of school-choice options available in Minnesota. Three research questions guided the survey: What are the demographic characteristics of families who choose to homeschool their children? What are the reasons parents homeschool their children? and To what extent is special education or the child's special needs a factor in the homeschooling decision? Participants in the study were homeschooling parents who had at least one kindergarten through 12th-grade child homeschooled in 1997. The results of the survey fell into five major categories: educational philosophy, special needs of the child, school climate, family lifestyle and parenting philosophy, and religion and ethics. Several subcategories within each main topic area were reviewed to understand the parents' reasons. Parents were asked if special education or special needs were factors in their decision to homeschool their child. Results show that special education or the child's special needs was a factor for many parents who homeschooled, which suggests policy implications for both homeschooling parents and special education. Considerable variety in the reasons reported for homeschooling was evident. (Contains 17 references.) (RJM)

This final report includes findings that were published in a December 1996 interim report and additional findings regarding student academic performance. Four types of data collection were used: a descriptive database for charter schools operating in Minnesota; 2-day site visits to each charter school during the spring and fall of 1996 to interview staff, students, parents and a knowledgeable person at the host district, and to conduct informal observations of classes or learning experiences; collaborative work with educators at the charter schools; and a systematic comparison of Minnesota's charter-school legislation and extant charter schools with other states in terms of growth, the role of state education agencies in relation to this growth, and key legislative provisions and policies. The findings revealed that half of Minnesota's charter schools (8 schools) were located in Minneapolis or St. Paul. Minnesota charter schools varied in the grade levels served. They are small, averaging 119 students with a range of 34 to 240 students per school; as of spring 1996, the enrollment of students with disabilities averaged 25 percent. Students with limited English proficiency averaged 10 percent, and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch averaged 47 percent. Minnesota charter schools have low student-to-staff ratios (averaging 12:1) as compared to a 22:1 ratio in Minnesota public schools generally. (RJM)

In 1991, the Minnesota Legislature enacted the first legislation in the nation to permit creation of legally and financially independent public schools called charter schools. In February 1996, the Minnesota State Board of Education authorized an 18-month evaluation of Minnesota's charter schools. An evaluation team from the University of Minnesota gathered data through a telephone survey of the 16 charter schools in operation during spring 1996; site visits; interviews; analysis of student performance data; a survey of staff, parents, and students; and a comparison of Minnesota's charter-school legislation and charter schools with those of other states. This report includes the findings available as of December 1996. The data show that starting new charter schools is very hard work. Charter schools are hampered by a lack of precedent, a lack of resources, innovation under daily pressure, the creation of school culture from scratch, difficulties in balancing planning and implementation, and environmental pressures. The report does not argue that Minnesota charter schools are failing, but that they are encountering developmental issues that locate them squarely in the experience reported in other public and private sectors. It is recommended that new charter schools: (1) confront the additional stresses that make the press of schooling even more potent in new schools; (2) pay more attention to the needs of teachers; (3) develop themselves as active learning communities yet constrain their aspirations for curriculum development; (4) plan for the socialization of members; and (5) actively engage in designing teachers' roles as well as being flexible and experimental in instruction and curriculum content. A total of 22 tables and one figure are included. (Contains 13 references.) (LMI)

This paper addresses the characteristics of alternative secondary education programs in Minnesota for students with special needs or considered to be "at risk." It examines various alternative school options including Area Learning Centers (which provide personalized year round, day and evening programs for learners aged 12 through adult) and the High School Graduation Incentives Option (a "second chance" program). A survey of 83 directors of Minnesota's alternative programs and 85 teachers in such programs was conducted. The directors' survey collected information on: program demographics, admission/exit policies, special education issues, curriculum and student progress procedures, tracking issues, staff demographics, and organization and decision making issues. The teachers' survey asked questions about the teachers' experiences. Results indicated that the schools surveyed tended to be small, have few support services within the school, use community resources to support the curriculum, exhibit a high level of control shared with staff (though such areas as funding and space allocation were usually decided by district administrators), and have teachers who see these schools as not yet meeting their ideal (though much closer to ideal than the conventional high school). Results also support the value of these alternative programs for serving special needs students. Contains four references. (DB)

This paper synthesizes 5 years of research examining three Minnesota school choice options for students with disabilities: (1) open enrollment; (2) High School Graduation Incentives (a second chance option for at-risk students); and (3) Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program (which allows 11th and 12th graders to enroll in college courses for high school and college credit at no cost). Analysis of the three options addresses program characteristics, participation rates of students with disabilities, impact of transfer as a function of disability classification, student characteristics and reasons for transfer, impact on school districts of transfer of students with disabilities, and program impact. Students with disabilities are participating in each of these options. Questions are raised on the impact of such options on schools, such as how such programs should be evaluated and locus of responsibility for support services. (Contains 22 references.) (DB)

This qualitative study examined the impact of open enrollment policies in Minnesota on eight school districts with larger than average transfers of students with disabilities. A series of case studies investigated implementation issues, effects on special education programs, effects on decision making in funding and planning, perceptions and opinions of school personnel about open enrollment, and characteristics of districts that gain or lose students with disabilities through open enrollment. Results were complex, as enrollment size and program quality alone did not explain the gain or loss of students with disabilities through open enrollment. Administrators and teachers did not give wide endorsement to the idea that the quality of special education programs improved because of open enrollment. Improved communication between school personnel and families did seem to be a key issue in open enrollment. For those districts gaining students with disabilities, there were few negative outcomes; districts losing students with disabilities were losing a great deal. Several recommendations are offered for consideration when evaluating open enrollment and the participation of students with disabilities. (Contains 11 references.) (DB)

The expectations of parents of students with disabilities who transferred schools through an open enrollment option were examined in this qualitative study. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of 18 children and adolescents who transferred their child through Minnesota's open enrollment law. Interviews addressed: the student's history of special education, reasons for transfer, delineation of student needs, parental expectations of child's school, parental expectations of child's teacher, implementation of the open enrollment option, student change after the transfer, and parental satisfaction. Results indicated that parents transferred their child only after careful deliberation and for well-conceived reasons. The needs discussed most often by parents centered on accommodation and adaptation in their child's program. Other areas emphasized by parents included personal/social adjustment, the need for a warm supportive environment, and home-school communication. (Contains 16 references.) (DB)

A random sample of Minnesota school districts participated in a study that examined the participation rates of students with disabilities in school choice options and tuition agreements. Surveys were sent to 100 Directors of Special Education; the response rate was 74%. The Directors of Special Education were asked to document the number of students with disabilities transferring in or out of their districts by means of open enrollment, high school graduation incentives (HSGI), tuition agreements between boards, and any other enrollment option. A large majority of students with disabilities were found to be transferring school districts using tuition agreements. Students demonstrating emotional/behavioral disorder were found to be the largest disability group (31 percent) transferring schools and utilizing both open enrollment and tuition agreements between boards. The greatest number of students (73 percent) were transferring schools using tuition agreements between boards. Very few participants used the HSGI option to transfer schools. Significant differences were found in participation rates between districts of differing enrollments with districts having enrollments over 20,000 also having the greatest percentage of students transferring in. Possible reasons for the high numbers of students with emotional and behavior disorders are discussed. (DB)

Minnesota has several types of school choice options available to its 750,000 students: open enrollment, second-chance programs, postsecondary enrollment options, and charter schools. Survey data show that the families of special-needs students are increasingly using the open-enrollment option and are satisfied with their choices. Students with disabilities are also taking advantage of the other three options. More research is needed to examine equity issues. (MLH)