School Choice and School Segregation in Toronto, Ontario

• In Event: Tracking, School Choice, Public Funding, and Horizontal Stratification From a Global Perspective

Abstract

School choice is increasingly common in Canadian public school districts, raising questions about its effects on segregation by socio-economic status, ethno-racial identity, immigration, and language. We use data on student demographics and official attendance boundaries from elementary and secondary schools in Canada’s largest district, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to conduct simulation analyses comparing the actual observed level of segregation to the theoretical level of segregation if all students attended their assigned school. We find that school choice contributes to segregation, particularly among secondary schools, while segregation among elementary schools appears more attributable to residential patterns. Nevertheless, among elementary schools, specialized programs of choice (particularly French immersion) explain a growing proportion of segregation.

Authors

• Anna K. Chmielewski, University of Toronto - OISE

• Elizabeth Dhuey, University of Toronto - Scarborough

• Salim Benhachmi, University of Toronto - OISE