2006 - College Access, K-12 Concentrated Disadvantage, and the Next 25 Years of Education Research

Attribution: Yun, John T., & Moreno, Jose F.
Researchers: John T. YunJose F. Moreno
University Affiliation: University of California at Santa Barbara
Email: jyun@education.ucsb.edu
Research Question:
Present method to understand concentrated disadvantage in K-12. Explore link between K-12 and college access. Examine concentrated disadvantage by race.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Educational Researcher
Journal Entry: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 12-19
Year: 2006
Findings:
  • The findings suggest that concentrated disadvantage in K-12, combined with the university eligibility criteria, create differential opportunities to attend CA public universities.
  • The findings show racial/ethnic patterns of concentrated disadvantage.
  • Nine school clusters are identified, providing descriptive information about the different types of schools.
  • Some schools that are very similar in racial/ethnic enrollment and ELL proportions differ in other important ways (access to AP classes and poverty level).
  • School disadvantages are concentrated largely in schools with greater proportions of African American and Latino students.
  • Many students in historically disadvantaged groups find footholds in relatively advantaged schools.
Keywords: African AmericanLatinosSegregationTrackingRegions: WestMethodologies: QuantitativeResearch Designs: SurveyAnalysis Methods: Cluster Analysis Sampling Frame:Public High Schools in California
Sampling Types: PopulationAnalysis Units: SchoolData Types: Quantitative-Cross Sectional
Data Description:
  • Data are from the CA Dept of Ed, 2003-2004.
  • This study takes for a sample all the public high schools in CA with enrolled 12th graders. Schools with very small enrollment are omitted.
  • The final sample is 899 schools (95% of all public high schools in CA).
  • Cluster analysis used to classify schools into groups based on characteristics associated with disadvantage (high proportion of ELL, high percentage of free/reduced lunch students, lack of AP/college prep classes, poor teacher preparation, and racial/ethnic isolation).
  • DV: Opportunity to attend public university in California (percentage of graduates who completed the A-G requirements for UC/CSU eligibility)
  • IV: Concentrated disadvantage in K-12 (operationalized multidimensionally, reflecting a combination of various types of schooling disadvantage (e.g., high proportion of English learners [EL], high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, lack of AP and college preparation classes, poor teacher preparation, and racial/ethnic isolation)
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:
Archives: K-12 Integration, Desegregation, and Segregation Abstracts