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2006 - The Race Gap in High School Reading Achievement: Why School Racial Composition Still Matters

Attribution: Brown-Jeffy, Shelly
Researchers: Shelly Brown-Jeffy
University Affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Email: shelly_brown@uncg.edu
Research Question:
How is school racial composition related to reading achievement?
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Gender & ClassRace
Journal Entry: Vol. 13, No. 3-4, pp. 268-294
Year: 2006
Findings:
  • Reading achievement scores of blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans significantly lower than those of Whites and Asians
  • Schools with higher minority populations have significantly lower school mean reading achievement
  • 32% of the variance in reading achievement is between schools
  • School racial composition is significantly associated with reading achievement
  • The race gap in reading achievement is best minimized in schools with 25-54% minority students, compared to schools with less than 10% minority student enrollment and schools with more than 55% minority student enrollment.
Keywords: Academic AchievementAchievement GapCompositionDesegregationEnglishHispanicsReadingResegregationSegregationRegions: NationalMethodologies: QuantitativeResearch Designs: SurveyAnalysis Methods: Multilevel Models Sampling Frame:Schools in Metro Areas
Sampling Types: RandomAnalysis Units: SchoolStudentData Types: Quantitative-Longitudinal
Data Description:
  • Data are from the HSES (High School Effectiveness Study) a subset of NELS 1988. Sample of students in schools in the 30 largest MSAs. Questionnaire data includes student assessments in math, English, science, and social studies. Data also includes student transcripts, and data collected from students’ teachers, parents, and school administrators. Final sample is 4,065 students in 219 schools, who were enrolled in the same school between 10th and 12th grades (1990-1992).
  • DV: 12th grade reading achievement
  • IV: Student level: gender, race, academic track placement, and family SES; school level: school composition variables (racial composition, SES composition, percent drop out, percent students in college track), school organization variables (total enrollment, sector, location-urban/suburban), and school climate (academic press, teacher engagement)
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:
Archives: K-12 Integration, Desegregation, and Segregation Abstracts
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