School sector and satisfaction: evidence from a nationally representative sample

ABSTRACT Access to private schools and public charter schools might improve parent and student satisfaction through competitive pressures and improved matches between educators and students. Using ordered probit regression analysis and a nationally representative sample of 13,436 students in the United States in 2016, I compare satisfaction levels of parents and students by school sector. I find that public charter schools and private schools outperform traditional public schools on six measures of parent and student satisfaction. Respondents with children in private schools also tend to report higher levels of satisfaction than respondents with children in public charter schools. These results tend to support the theory that access to public charter and private schools could lead to higher levels of satisfaction for families and students. However, although several control variables are included in the analytic models, the results may still be affected by selection bias.