2004 - The Socioeconomic Composition of the Public Schools: A Crucial Consideration in Student Assignment Policy

Attribution: UNC Center for Civil Rights
Researchers: UNC Center for Civil Rights
University Affiliation: UNC-Chapel Hill
Email:
Research Question:
Brief overview of some of the research relating to the socioeconomic composition of schools.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: UNC Center for Civil Rights
Journal Entry: 27-Dec
Year: 2004
Findings:
  • The report by the UNC Center for Civil Rights evaluates the student assignment policy in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
  • SES composition of schools matters for student achievement and other outcomes.
  • CMS data show that concentrated school poverty depresses the academic performance of children who attend these schools.
  • High poverty in schools negatively impacts teacher quality.
  • CMS teacher turnover rates are substantially higher in poorer schools. High poverty schools exist in CMS although it is a wealthy district.
  • SES balancing would eliminate high poverty schools and reduce associated problems.
  • Public school assignment based on SES composition can more efficiently use school space–lessen crowding in suburban schools and fully utilize central city schools.
  • The report concludes that the current student assignment system in CMS crates a system of “winner” and “loser” schools and that the system is in need of revision.
Keywords: Academic AchievementSESRegions: SouthMethodologies: MixedResearch Designs: Secondary Survey DataAnalysis Methods: Descriptive Statistics Sampling Frame:County
Sampling Types: NonrandomAnalysis Units: School DistrictData Types: Mixed
Data Description:
  • Data on public and private school enrollment in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina are from the NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC Department of Administration.
  • Data are also from NCES and Rural Data Bank (NC Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.).
  • Analyzed previous documents and legal decisions.
  • DV: Student achievement (measured by test scores)
  • IV: Percentage of low-income students in school, percentage of students eligible for free lunch
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:
Archives: K-12 Integration, Desegregation, and Segregation Abstracts