Groups Conduct Studies Of D.C. School System

School is out, but there's no shortage of studying being done -- at least by the professionals who have been hired to sort things out.

One group is being paid $4 million to assess central office operations. Now, three other groups have been brought in to develop a strategy to attract and retain families with children.

The study, which costs $400,000, has three phases. In the first, which should be completed by fall, parents are being pulled into small group sessions to determine exactly where students are, with some attention to potential population shifts. Among other things, the project is expected to forecast enrollments through 2015.

"We think it's important that we understand the choices that parents make in terms of quality schools," said Deborah A. Gist, state superintendent of education. "If we can determine that parents are making choices based on a specific program or a specific service, we can provide better options for parents."

Participants are being paid $25 for the two-hour sessions, which represent one-third of the study.

"While there are focus groups, a large part of the study is student migration data that we've gotten from the schools," Gist said.

The second phase will analyze neighborhood characteristics and schools in which large numbers of students are entering or leaving. The final stage, will pull together the findings, offering suggestions to bring school investments in line with residents' expectations.

D.C. public schools have been in the limelight since Mayor Adrian M. Fenty took the reins of the city and announced his intention to take control of the schools. He has appointed a new chancellor, Michelle A. Rhee, who is preparing for the upcoming school year. The flurry of activity is in keeping with the Fenty's frenetic pace, although some longtime observers have scoffed at the need for new reports to determine what parents want and need.

One of those critics, Mary Levy of the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, said this study is needed to help incorporate public charter school enrollment, a quarter of D.C. students, into city education planning.

"For too long we have been acting on an ad hoc basis, taking one short step at a time in this area, without thinking about where these steps lead," she said.

The study, slated to be completed in March, is being done in conjunction with the Brookings Institution, the Urban Institute and the 21st Century Fund.