In 1988, the East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Parish School System implemented an education reform plan to reduce mandatory busing by offering a controlled choice plan allowing educational options. Two years later, parent and community involvement in schools has improved and white enrollment has increased. To understand why a few schools have had limited success at attracting students outside their attendance zones, a study was conducted to identify selection factors important to parents. Following an extensive overview of desegregation efforts and their relationship to choice alternatives, research findings concerning the current choice debate and parental choice issues are summarized. The study of parental choice influences used a stratified sample of 8 pilot and 8 nonpilot schools with an enrollment totalling 9,000 students. The survey asked respondents to rank eight indicators of school choice (location, school policy, reputation, leadership, distance, physical facilities, extracurricular activities, and school program) from most important to least important. Open-ended questions were also included. Results showed the primary parental choice factors to be location in relation to homes, a school's "face value" or public perception, and leadership and staff abilities and qualifications. Racial composition was only occasionally mentioned. A sample survey is attached. (28 references) (MLH)