Case Study: Conceptualizing Rapid Racial and Socioeconomic Change in Suburban Schools

• In Event: Race and Place: How Suburban Schools Respond to Increasing Racial Diversity

Abstract

Purpose
Sewall County (*pseudonym for a Metro Atlanta suburb) underwent a significant demographic shift between 2000 and 2010, growing from 119,000 residents to 204,000. Over that same time period, the percentage of White residents decreased to 55.7% from 81.4% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). As a result of such changes, the county’s school district experienced tremendous growth not only in size, but in student composition. This paper focuses on two elementary schools that vary in size and student demographics, and seeks to examine how school leaders make sense of the recent racial and socioeconomic changes in the schools and surrounding community, and how they address such changes in their schools.
Theoretical Framework
This research relies on the critical race theory framework (Ladson-Billings, 1998; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 2005) as a lens through which to analyze issues of Whiteness, colorblindness, and multiculturalism present in the formerly majority-White schools.
Methods and Data
The majority of data used in this paper was collected from several on-site interviews conducted with school leaders. The interviews were analyzed and coded to illustrate the ways in which the school leaders (a) could explain the recent demographic changes, and (b) could outline school-level policies implemented to address such changes. County-level data obtained from the US Census Bureau will be used to illustrate the changing demographics over time.
Preliminary Findings
The study found that school leaders are well aware of the changing student demographics, and that the changes reflect strong patterns of increasing percentages of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch and students that are English Language Learners. School leaders are also aware of how employment and housing patterns affect the student composition of their schools. Meeting the needs of lower-income and/or language-minority students became a priority for school leaders, and as such, they constantly sought ways in which to address those issues. The school-level policies implemented reflected hiring and academic support and multicultural programs.
Significance
This paper contributes to the growing body of research addressing the changing racial and socioeconomic demographics evident in suburban schools and communities. This research also brings attention to the growing Hispanic/Latino population in the United States, and forces the discussion of diversity to move beyond the duality of Black and White. It is necessary to understand how schools that were once predominately White recognize and meet the needs of diverse groups of students. Additionally, this research can be used a foundation to more deeply evaluate school and district-level policies that are designed to improve the achievement of all students.

Author

• Ain A. Grooms, University of Georgia - Athens