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Abstract

Since the 1960s, laboratory schools have been diminishing throughout the United States with less than 100 active today. This reduction is attributed to lack of financial support, and the fact that fewer children are choosing to attend laboratory schools. Why, then, do parents choose to enroll or withdraw their children in laboratory schools? This article focuses on this question, while presenting the strengths and weaknesses of laboratory schools. Strengths of laboratory schools include better preparation for higher education, an understanding of a college atmosphere, higher college acceptance rates, and increased performance on standardized tests. Weaknesses of laboratory schools include high tuition, adjusting to an observed classroom, high teacher turn-over rates, and homogenous environments. This study solicited the opinions of parents, whose children attended a laboratory school in the southeastern part of the United States, concerning their reasons for selecting or leaving laboratory schools. Additionally, implications for educational leaders and administrators of laboratory schools are discussed.

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