Many deregulated public charter schools are emphasizing parental involvement. But to what extent do the initiators of these charter schools use parent involvement and parent contracts to restrict enrollment to students whose parents demonstrate the desired commitments and willingness to meet school expectations? To explore this question, this paper reports on: (1) findings from a survey of 28 charter schools and 39 comparison schools in the same California communities; and (2) an examination of parent contracts in use at 23 of the charter schools. The survey elicited response rates of 62 and 51 percent for charter schools and traditional schools, respectively. The overall tenor of the parent contracts used at most of the charter schools suggests that the contracts are viewed as a means of obtaining compliance rather than as a positive vehicle for encouraging the growth of a more inclusive school community. These contracts seem to permit schools more leverage over parents. Furthermore, a major reason charter schools have higher levels of parent involvement may be that the more school-participation-oriented families select themselves into charter-school enrollment; meanwhile, parents who lack the initial interest or circumstances conducive to participation reject the opportunity to join such a school. It is concluded that, to some extent, schools are being organized to exclude students based on a new criterion of undesirability--the criterion of having supportive and educationally involved parents. Nine tables are included. (LMI)