School Choice, Racial Segregation, and Poverty Concentration: Evidence From Pennsylvania Charter School Transfers

Abstract

This article examines how student movements between traditional public schools (TPSs) and charters—both brick and mortar and cyber—may be associated with both racial isolation and poverty concentration. Using student-level data from the universe of Pennsylvania public schools, this study builds upon previous research by specifically examining student transfers into charter schools, disaggregating findings by geography. We find that, on average, the transfers of African American and Latino students from TPSs to charter schools were segregative. White students transferring within urban areas transferred to more racially segregated schools. Students from all three racial groups attended urban charters with lower poverty concentration.

Schools as market-based clusters: Geospatial and statistical analysis of charter schools in Ohio

“…Supporters of school choice programs argue that racial integration will improve through choice policies because, in theory, they can draw students from a broader geographic range than traditional public schools so families can send their children to schools outside of their racially segregated neighborhoods and promote integration (Chubb & Moe, 1995;Finn, 1990;Hoxby, 1998;Nathan, 1996;Thernstrom & Thernstrom, 2004;Wolf, Howell & Peterson, 2000). However, some scholars have not found this hypothesized integration taking place at charter schools (Kotok, Frankenberg, Schafft, Mann, & Fuller, 2017;Mickelson, Bottia & Southworth, 2008). Past research suggests that choice options, including charter schools and public voucher programs, exacerbate segregation by race, socioeconomic status and, at times, ability for several reasons.…”

Whiteness and economic advantage in digital schooling: Diversity patterns and equity considerations for K-12 online charter schools

“…5). Additionally, this study adds to school choice scholarship because it explores a choice scenario of online schools with unique spatial dynamics that are less limited by geography, as opposed to the place-based nature of segregated and non-diverse traditional public and brick and mortar charter schools (Frankenberg, Siegel-Hawley, & Wang, 2010;Kotok, Frankenberg, Schafft, Mann, & Fuller, 2017). The unique aspatial nature of online charter schools raises the potential for different diversity patterns than seen in traditional schools.…”

“…Charter schools often are located in urban environments with high levels of minority students, which partially explains a lack of racial diversity due to high levels of minority isolation in urban schools and White isolation in schools outside urban areas. However, even when opportunities for racial diversity and integration exist in urban spaces, students continue to enroll in racially homogenous charter schools (Kotok et al, 2017;Stein, 2015).…”

Exploring school choice and the consequences for student racial segregation within Pennsylvania’s charter school transfers

“…At a time of persisting neighborhood segregation, it is critical to assess how student movement to and from charter schools affects school segregation, as well as whether students and parents make these choices while more integrative options exist. Few studies have been able to ascertain how movements to charter schools affect segregation, but those that have suggest that the moves to charter schools for Black students result in more segregated school contexts; findings for White and Latino students, where studied, are more mixed (Bifulco & Ladd, 2007;Kotok, Frankenberg, Schafft, Fuller, & Mann, 2015;Stein, 2015;Zimmer et al, 2009). …”