Student Representations and Equitable Educational Access for Minority Students: Evidence From Two Cities

• In Event: Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: School Choice: Equity and Access

Abstract

In this study, we explored ways that schools are marketing themselves, and if that marketing strategy may reflect underlying pressures for schools to limit or promote access to different student racial groups. We examined website data from K-12 schools in Washington, DC and New Orleans, Louisiana. Websites were analyzed for representations of student images, assuming that schools would represent either their actual or desired student populations. By comparing a website’s represented school racial makeup to the actual racial makeup, the analysis determined the extent to which school websites accurately represented schools. In determining differences in traditional-public, charter, and private schools, we were able to see emerging patterns that could suggest the influence of competitive incentives on school organizational behavior.

Authors

• Matthew Allen Linick, University of Illinois

• Christopher A. Lubienski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign