Using evidence from Durham, North Carolina, we examine the impact of school choice programs on racial and class-based segregation across schools. Theoretical considerations suggest that how choice programs affect segregation will depend not only on the family preferences emphasized in the sociology literature but also on the linkages between student composition, school quality and student achievement emphasized in the economics literature. Reasonable assumptions about the distribution of preferences over race, class, and school characteristics suggest that the segregating choices of students from advantaged backgrounds are likely to outweigh any integrating choices by disadvantaged students. The results of our empirical analysis are consistent with these theoretical considerations. Using information on the actual schools students attend and on the schools in their assigned attendance zones, we find that schools in Durham are more segregated by race and class as a result of school choice programs than they would be if all students attended their geographically assigned schools. In addition, we find that the effects of choice on segregation by class are larger than the effects on segregation by race.
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Connecticut, Department of Economics in its series Working papers with number
2007-41.
Length: 43 pages Date of creation: Oct 2007 Date of revision:
Jun 2008 Handle: RePEc:uct:uconnp:2007-41
Note: The authors wish to thank Clara Muschkin for comments on the paper and Justin Knight for his efforts as a research assistant. We would also like to acknowledge the assistance and support received from North Carolina Education Research Data Center, especially Gary Thompson's assistance with student address data, from Bill Bartholomay at Durham Public Schools at the City of Durham, and from Rob Cushman from City of Durham Technology Solutions. Contact details of provider: Postal: University of Connecticut 341 Mansfield Road, Unit 1063 Storrs, CT 06269-1063 Phone: (860) 486-4889 Fax: (860) 486-4463 Web page: http://www.econ.uconn.edu/ More information through EDIRC
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