1995 - Racial and Economic Segregation and Educational Outcomes: One Tale-Two Cities

Attribution: Yancey, William, & Saporito, Salvatore
Researchers: Salvatore SaporitoWilliam Yancey
University Affiliation: Temple University
Email: william.yancey@temple.edu; sjsapo@wm.edu
Research Question:
Racial & economic segregation of public schools in Philadelphia and Houston.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Applied Behavioral Science Review
Journal Entry: Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 105-125
Year: 1995
Findings:
  • Minorities are under represented in magnet schools.
  • The abandonment of neighborhood schools to magnet schools is selective (white / rich).
  • Magnet schools reduce racial segregation across all schools while creating a racial and economic divide between magnet and neighborhood schools.
  • Result is an increased concentration of poor students in racially and economically homogeneous schools.
  • Economic characteristics of students are more important than their racial characteristics as determinants of school success.
  • Magnet schools have created two important secondary consequences:
    • 1) They have created a two-tiered system of schools within these two public school systems.
    • 2) Have increased the degree of economic segregation, both between magnet and neighborhood schools and among neighborhood schools.
Keywords: Academic AchievementChoiceMagnet SchoolsNeighborhoodSegregationSESMethodologies: QuantitativeResearch Designs: Secondary Survey DataAnalysis Methods: Regression Sampling Frame:Philadelphia & Houston elementary/middle schools
Sampling Types: PopulationAnalysis Units: SchoolData Types: Quantitative-Cross Sectional
Data Description:
  • US Census 1990: number and characteristics of persons by census tracts.
  • Annual Report describing school-level characteristics in each city 172 elementary and 45 middle school in Philadelphia 169 elementary and 39 middle school in Houston
  • “Pupil Directory Files”: information about all students enrolled in public schools.
  • Census information linked with school information.
  • DV: Average reading achievement of school
  • IV: Percent low-income students, percent minority students, student turnover, average daily attendance, presence of magnet program.
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:
Archives: K-12 Integration, Desegregation, and Segregation Abstracts