CNN 2000ats Page 41
The two measures of parents' school alienation (being left out of things going on at
school and feeling what they think doesn't count very much at school) were used to
calculate an overall Parents' School Alienation Index. Parents with high levels of
school alienation are more likely to be low-income (22% vs. 14%), to lack a college
degree (18% vs. 10%; 16% vs. 10%) and to have a child in secondary school
(21% vs. 11%).
So, are parents too busy or being left out of things? The findings suggest that busy
schedules are the culprit. Parents who spend too much time at work are more alien-
ated than those who don't feel they spend too much time at work (16% vs. 11%)
(Exhibits 2.6 - 2.7).
Exhibit 2.6
Who Are the Alienated Parents?
Base: All Parents
Parents' School
Alienation Index
Base
High
Low
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(2017) . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . . . . . . .23
Sex
Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(528) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .18 . . . . . . . . . . .17
Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1489) . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .13 . . . . . . . . . . .28
Minority Status
Non-minority . . . . . . . . .(1610) . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . . . . . . .22
Minority . . . . . . . . . . . . .(214) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .17 . . . . . . . . . . .25
Income
Under $25K . . . . . . . . . . .(341) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . . . . . . .23
$25K - $74K . . . . . . . . . .(1229) . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .14 . . . . . . . . . . .22
$75K+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(291) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .14 . . . . . . . . . . .29
Education
High school or less . . . . . .(598) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .18 . . . . . . . . . . .20
Some college . . . . . . . . . .(797) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .16 . . . . . . . . . . .24
Four year degree or more (622) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .10 . . . . . . . . . . .28
Child's Grade
K - 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1162) . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . . . . . .30
7 - 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(855) . . . . . . . . . .% . . . . . . . . . . .21 . . . . . . . . . . .14
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