School Segregation in New York City: Three Decades of Stability and Change

• In Event: (Re)Segregation and Tracking: Problems in the Pursuit of Racial Equity

Abstract

Over the past several years, school segregation in New York City has attracted attention not seen since the 1960s. Our current study employed three decades of data to explore the extent, location, and potential explanators of the city’s segregation. Our findings suggest that despite the recent attention, overall school segregation has remained relatively stable since the late 1980s, albeit at alarmingly high levels. Black/white segregation, however, has grown somewhat, while Hispanic/white segregation has steadily decreased. Unsurprisingly, given their ties to segregated neighborhoods, elementary schools are more segregated than middle schools, which are more segregated than high schools. Lastly, areas with growing Asian and white student populations and increasing number of school choices are more likely to experience increasing segregation.  

Authors

• Douglas Ready, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Shani Shalev Bretas, Teachers College, Columbia University