Geography of Opportunity for College Preparation in College Deserts

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 2:30 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Fracturing and Transforming Race and Place (Table 19)

Abstract

Given potential local variations in access to accelerated courses for college pathways, students in small rural and at-risk urban schools may struggle with limited opportunities for college preparation courses. College readiness initiatives differentiated by geography can reinforce place-based academic gaps and widen disparities in college access. This study demonstrates that high school graduates in certain economic areas must travel to obtain richer access to higher education from home, and access to college credit earning courses is also unevenly distributed across economic shed areas. Because the interplay between educational service providers' locations and home addresses appears not only in families with young children but also in high school graduates, this study can shed light on the K-16 pipeline of educational opportunities.

Authors

• Jin Lee, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Jennifer Ortiz Garza, University of Houston - Victoria