Postsecondary Outcomes in Gentrifying Areas: A Stratification Economics and QuantCrit Analysis of College Access and Mobility

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender Roundtable: Mapping Disparities and Creating "Seats at the Table" for Student Access and Success

Abstract

This study investigates how gentrification shapes postsecondary outcomes for historically marginalized students—particularly Latinx and Puerto Rican youth—within large urban districts. Using a QuantCrit and stratification economics framework, the study challenges race-neutral narratives of school improvement by examining how structural inequalities persist amid neighborhood change. Drawing on longitudinal administrative and National Student Clearinghouse data from 2010–2020, the study uses multilevel and spatial regression models to analyze enrollment, persistence, and institutional selectivity. Findings suggest that institutional policy choices—not just neighborhood demographics—mediate access to opportunity. This work highlights the need for justice-oriented policies that respond to racialized displacement and structural barriers in K–16 education, offering insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers committed to educational equity in urban contexts.

Author

• Elizabeth I. Rivera, Montclair State University