Choice, Place, and Opportunity: A Case Study of the Saint Louis Student Transfer Program

• In Event: 72.046 - Learning From the Past: How Interdistrict Desegregation Policies Can Inform School Choice and Improvement Policies Today

Abstract

Objectives
The St. Louis Student Transfer Program is a voluntary inter-district school choice program that was created over 30 years ago to increase racial integration throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. At its peak, over 14,000 students participated in the program; in January 2013, the program was serving 5,100 students (VICC, 2013). This paper examines the history of the inter-district transfer program, paying particular attention to the relationship between choice, place, and opportunity in a changing political and legal environment that has grown skeptical about racial integration. This paper illustrates the growing need for districts to work across boundary lines to improve opportunities for all students.

Perspectives
Inter-district choice policies first emerged in the mid-1960s in large response to the inability for intra-district policies to effectively establish diverse schooling environments in areas that were becoming racially and socioeconomically segregated (Rury & Saatcioglu, 2011). While the structure of these policies varies, they are designed to reduce racial and socioeconomic isolation and provide opportunity for students across districts (Wells et al., 2009).
As school choice policies continue to grow in popularity, it is important to note that the ability for school choice efforts to meet their intended goals depends on how these policies are designed and implemented, and under what context. That is, school choice policies have the power to either promote diversity or deepen inequality, include innovative options that are equally attractive to all or perpetuate a stratified system that appeals to an exclusive group (Miron & Welner, 2012). I utilize the research on school choice policies to demonstrate the continued relevance of inter-district choice policies in promoting equity and opportunity.

Methods & Modes of Inquiry
This paper draws upon eight in-depth interviews with individuals from a cross-section of roles in the St. Louis Student Transfer Program, including superintendents (who also serve as governing board members), program staff, attorneys, and community stakeholders involved in the implementation of the program. Individuals were selected intentionally to capture a diversity of representation in terms of role and geography. Findings were triangulated using multiple sources of data including program data, court documents, newspaper accounts, Census data, and school enrollment data (Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Results & Significance of the Study
The fight for equal educational opportunity began in St. Louis 18 years after the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruling when a group of five Black north St. Louis parents filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education for the City of St. Louis. The lawsuit, which played out in the courts for over a quarter of a century and continues to be fought over today, sought to end certain discriminatory practices by the district and the state of Missouri that led to a segregated St. Louis school system (Liddell v. Board of Education, 1972; Norwood, 2012). Today, as school districts across the St. Louis metropolitan area remain highly segregated and face accreditation issues, this analysis provides useful evidence about the continued value of inter-district choice policies in providing equitable schooling opportunities.

Author

• Sarah Diem, University of Missouri