The Impact of School Choice on School Segregation: A Conceptual Comparative Analysis

• In Event: International Perspectives on School Violence

Abstract

School choice represents both a potential cause and remedy for social segregation. And the empirical evidence on the effects of choice is mixed, raising questions about how the policy and contextual specifics of choice shape its potential to alleviate or exacerbate segregation. This analysis offers a comprehensive examination of evidence across the globe on the relationship of choice to in- and between-school segregation, identifying factors impacting the effects of choice on student sorting, and producing hypotheses on how factors are mediated by policy, contextual, and research considerations. Findings suggest that the lack of research consensus results largely from differences in choice policies. By identifying policy factors, this project sheds light on the potential of choice to remedy social segregation.

Authors

• Christopher A. Lubienski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Laura Perry, Murdoch University