A Survey of the Enrollment Decisions of Parents and Guardians in Catholic High Schools in Greater New Orleans

This research examines the reasons why parent(s)/guardian(s) have chosen to enroll their child in a Catholic high school in the New Orleans area. Currently enrollment in Catholic high schools in the area is down post-Hurricane Katrina. This research is a qualitative study utilizing Grounded Theory methodology. An anonymous survey was sent to eighth grade parents of selected Catholic high schools, which they completed and submitted online. The results from the coding of the survey responses indicate that the primary reasons parent(s) selected a Catholic high school education for their child was academics, the importance of faith and/or Catholic education, the community of the high school, and the importance of discipline and safety for their child. With this information, the Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Catholic Education and Faith Formation and the individual order-run schools in the area can affect their recruiting and marketing strategies to increase enrollment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]