[EQ] Segregation and Exposure to High Poverty Schools in US Large Metropolitan Areas: 2008-09

Segregation and Exposure to High Poverty Schools in Large Metropolitan Areas:
2008-09

Nancy McArdle, Theresa Osypuk, and Dolores Acevedo-García
Diversitydata.org and Harvard School of Public Health supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
September 2010

Available online PDF [23p.] at: http://bit.ly/bG8xAd

A new report published by www.diversitydata.org, ranks public, primary schools in the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan according to racial/ethnic segregation and exposure to concentrated poverty schools. 

“…..Schools are a key environment influencing child development, and research has documented the negative effects of concentrated poverty schools as well as the advantages of racially/ethnically diverse learning environments.

 

This report describes patterns of school segregation and poverty concentration of 30,989 public primary schools
in the 100 largest metropolitan areas for the 2008-09 school year.

Findings include:

- Enrollment is already “majority-minority” nationally but differs substantially across regions, with the West being almost two-thirds minority.

- Residential segregation and school assignment plans lead to high levels of school racial segregation, particularly for blacks.

- Metropolitan areas with the highest school poverty rates are concentrated in California and the Deep South.

- 43 percent of black and Hispanic students attend schools with poverty rates over 80 percent, compared to 4 percent of white students.

- Even within the same metro areas, black and Hispanic students attend schools with dramatically higher poverty rates than whites or Asians.

- Bridgeport and Hartford have the largest disparities.

- To address inequalities, policies must lead to stronger enforcement of fair housing laws, improving school and neighborhood quality,
  and allowing students to cross district boundaries to attend better schools.

 

The report is based on data drawn the diversitydata.org website.  Designed for use by the public, the media, and researchers, diversitydata.org goes beyond many similar demographic websites by including information on school characteristics such as racial/ethnic composition, segregation, and exposure to high-poverty schools, as well as information on health, education, neighborhood conditions, and housing opportunities.

Additionally, the website has interactive features allowing any user to easily create profiles for specific metropolitan areas, as well as customized rankings according to chosen indicators.  ….” Website: http://diversitydata.sph.harvard.edu/

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