Middle School Experiences and Exit: Perspectives From Parents

Student mobility, the movement of students between schools, is a significant concernfor schools and school districts because it is associated with negative outcomes for theindividual students moving, the school experiencing mobility, and non-mobile students. A study conducted by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research in partnership with 10 Houston-area school districts revealed frequent student mobility, with districts regularly exchanging students during and between school years (Potter et al., 2020). Middle school was found to be a common time when students exit from district public schools (Potter etal., 2021).

One partner district in this research was interested in learning more about the motivations behind mobility inits district. In the Arroyo Independent School District (AISD), a pseudonym created to protect anonymity, almost 40% of students left the district at some point between fifth and 12th grade, and the exit percentage was highest following the first year of middle school (Potter et al., 2021). Analyses examining district administrative and achievement data highlighted exit patterns and timing but could not answer the district’s primary question: Why are families exiting after entering middle school? In this study, we explored this question using in-depth interviews with parents from 70 families with children enrolled in AISD middle schools—40 who remained in the district and 30 who exited—and a survey of parents in the district. This data allowed us to explore how parents perceive and experience district middle schools and consider what motivated exit.