Residential income segregation and its impact on schools

Across the country, the socioeconomic and demographic landscapes of schools are changing. The migratory trends of both minority and White populations have created a pattern of residential income segregation where affluent families choose to reside in certain areas in order to gain access to good schools (Frankenberg & Orfield, 2012; Holme, 2002). This migration results in changes in educational outcomes and an uneven distribution of resources and services in suburban communities (Reardon, 2012). This exploratory mixed methods study was designed to examine residential income segregation and its relationship to schools. Thirteen high schools within the six districts in St. Louis were selected as this city represents some of the starkest racial dividing lines of any American city (Gordon, 2008). The quantitative component involved the use of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Education to calculate the Index of Discrimination (ID), which correlated to the level of services and educational outcomes provided from 2000 to 2013. The quantitative results indicated that when wealthier White residents moved out of North St. Louis County, the students remaining in the schools tended to be poorer, were less likely to attend a 4-year college, and had lower ACT scores. Additionally, as wealthier residents moved in and the White enrollment increased, so too did ACT scores. Qualitative interviews were conducted with three realtors, two school board members, and four building administrators with a focus on understanding how these stakeholders adjusted to meet the desires of the community. In further understanding the quantitative outcomes, the interviews provided a level of insight into real consequences that relate to how students perform in school. Ultimately, further understanding the relationship between residential income segregation and schools is an integral component in remediating the landscape of educational inequities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Ed Organization and Leadership

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2016

Author dc:creator

• Nadler, Julia A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lubienski, Christopher A.
• Alexander, Kern
• Sloat, Linda
• Span, Christopher

• Residential Income Segregation
• School

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2016 Julia Nadler

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90505

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/90505