A Socioeconomic Profile of Schools With Declining Enrollment in Toronto

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership, School Governance, and Organization (Table 6)

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between school enrollment levels, income, exceptionality, and achievement in public schools in Toronto, Ontario. Through a quantitative exploration of administrative datasets, the analysis found that schools with low enrollment levels tend to serve more low-income students and have more students receiving special education services than schools with medium or high enrollment levels. Also, these schools tend to have lower results in standardized test scores compared to their counterparts. This study incorporates the Utilization Rate (UR) metric into the repertoire of educational researchers and practitioners, contributing to the analysis of educational opportunity. The findings highlight the relationships between enrollment and poverty, which could expand the research on school and socioeconomic segregation.

Authors

• Gus Riveros, Western University

• Chenyang Zhou, Western University

• Matthew Bowery, Western University