Optimizing the Spatial Assignment of Schools to Provide Equal Educational Opportunity: Multi-School Zoning or Randomization

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Abstract

Taking school capacity and home–school distance as constraints, this study constructed two models to analyse the spatial equity of school enrolment. The multi-school zoning model aimed to minimise differences in educational quality, while the probabilistic similarity model to maximise the similarity of probability distributions. The models were fitted with a network flow algorithm using administrative, geographic and demographic census data for three districts of City B in China. Results showed that both models enhance educational equity by introducing a randomisation mechanism to school allocation. However, randomisation also leads to an increase in students’ commuting costs. The fundamental solution may lies in expanding the randomisation to reduce inter-school quality gaps.

Authors

• Liu Ziyu, Beijing Normal University

• Ran Zhao, Beijing Normal University

• Guan Jiaqi, Beijing Normal University