Can School Choice Mitigate School Socioeconomic Segregation? Evidence From a Policy Change in Chile

• In Event: Transnational Discernment of Socioeconomic Factors in Education

Abstract

Scholars have theorized varied social and policy factors that can result in segregated schools. However, rarely has empirical work been able to separate out the unique effect of each. In this paper, I aim to disentangle the impact of school-level selective admission procedures from other determinants such as neighborhood segregation and parental preferences. I take advantage of a recent policy change in Chile that aims to eliminate two common admissions practices: cream-skimming by ability and charging tuition fees to families. Relying on the implementation process of the policy, I estimate a staggered difference-in-difference model to assess whether school socioeconomic segregation changes because of this policy shock. Overall, between-school segregation decreases after non-random admission procedures are prohibited in the system.

Author

• Francisco Lagos, University of Maryland - College Park