The Politics of Maintaining Diversity Policies in Demographically Changing Urban-Suburban School Districts

Diem, Sarah; Frankenberg, Erica; Cleary, Colleen; Ali, Nazneen

doi:10.1086/675532

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Prairie is consistent with the academic literature examining the school rezoning process. Many parents express a desire for compact, "neighborhood" zones containing children from residential areas proximal to the schools that serve them (Bartels and Donato 2009;Diem et al 2014;Gumas-Dawes et al 2012;Kahlenberg 2007;McDermitt et al 2015;McQuillan and Englert 2001;Parcel and Taylor 2015;Roscigno and Condron 2003).…”

Section: Case Studies Of School Rezoningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration

Saporito

2017

Social Science Research

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This paper investigates how much the geographic shapes of school attendance zones within urban school districts are associated with levels of attendance zone racial segregation (while holding constant levels of residential segregation). Based on an analysis of 304 school districts, findings show that more irregularly-shaped school attendance zones are correlated with lower levels of racial segregation in attendance zones after accounting for residential segregation. In fact, not one school district contains both highly irregularly-shaped attendance zones and unusually high levels of attendance zone racial segregation-although there are several school districts with irregularly-shaped zones and unusually high levels of racial integration. These findings undermine recent claims that irregularly-shaped attendance zones generally serve to segregate students by race. In addition to these empirical findings, this paper introduces a variation of the spatial information theory segregation index H˜ that is useful for predicting segregation in school attendance zones and other types of geographic boundaries containing roughly equal populations.

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Section: Case Studies Of School Rezoningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration

Saporito

2017

Social Science Research

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“…Although the formal root of racial segregation in U.S. public schools was overturned over 60 years with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), scholars have demonstrated that U.S. public schools have become increasingly resegregated within the last 30 years (Diem, Cleary, Ali, & Frankenberg, 2014; Orfield, Kucsera, & Siegel-Hawley, 2012). This is an alarming trend, as scholars have demonstrated a clear link between patterns of resegregation and unequal educational opportunities and outcomes, as residential segregation often isolates and limits wealth and other economic and educational resources (Frankenberg, 2009; Frankenberg & Lee, 2002; Lipsitz, 2011; Massey & Denton, 1993; powell, 1999).…”

Section: The Importance Of Place For Educational Success School Punimentioning

confidence: 99%

School Punishment and Education: Racial/Ethnic Disparities With Grade Retention and the Role of Urbanicity

et al. 2018

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There are racial/ethnic disparities associated with school punishment practices and academic progress. In addition, research suggests that urban schools have stricter school punishment practices and higher grade retention rates. What remains unknown, however, is the relationship between race/ethnicity, school punishment practices, and retention rates across urban, rural, and suburban schools. Thus, this study draws from the Texas Education Agency’s Public Education Information Management System and Critical Race Theory to investigate if there is link between school punishment practices and academic progress, as well as establishing if there are racial/ethnic disparities in urban, rural, and suburban contexts.

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“…Indeed, a district’s commitment can vary depending on who is seated on the school board in districts with voluntary desegregation policies (Smith, Kedrowski, & Ellis, 2004). Additionally, population growth and changes in the racial and economic makeup of a district can influence school boards to be more or less supportive of efforts to promote diversity in schools (Diem et al, 2014). While school districts under desegregation decrees issued from the courts are legally obligated to follow those orders, how they are carried out can vary greatly depending on the will of the school board (Fraga et al, 2005; Trujillo, 2013).…”

Section: Research Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An analysis of all desegregation-related public opinion polls that are publically available found that while most Whites agree with school desegregation in principle and believe that it has benefited Blacks and the nation as a whole, somewhat fewer believe that Whites have benefitted from school desegregation as well (Frankenberg & Jacobsen, 2011; see also Hochschild & Scott, 1998). Furthermore, Whites have not been as supportive of the methods used to accomplish school desegregation, which in public opinion surveys has often asked parents about support for “busing.” A representative sample of public school parents in a large, racially and economically diverse countywide district were surveyed, and it was found that parents simultaneously hold competing viewpoints about policies that seek racial and socioeconomic diversity: Parents support such diversity policies but prefer that their children attend schools close to home, making it nearly impossible to balance given current demographic trends and school capacity (Diem et al, 2014; Orfield & Frankenberg, 2011).…”

Section: Research Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, both communities are experiencing enclave growth as more White families are moving to exclusive suburbs within the district boundaries while, overall, the share of students of color is growing in both districts, including some movement to suburban areas as well as concentrating in the central city of each district (WCPSS, 2013b). There has also been a shift in how communities are conceptualized from entire countywide districts to smaller neighborhoods within the districts (Diem, Frankenberg, Cleary, & Ali, 2014), making the politics around student assignment potentially more contentious among school board members. Furthermore, as the mechanisms used in policies to establish and/or maintain racial integration continue to be constrained by the courts, it is crucial to assess how school boards navigate the politics of the communities they represent and their competing conceptions, and how they make policy decisions.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Factors That Influence School Board Policy Making

Diem

Frankenberg

Cleary

2015

Educational Administration Quarterly

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Purpose: This article examines factors that affect school board policy making about student diversity within two southern urban-suburban school districts experiencing changing demographics: Jefferson County Public Schools and the Wake County Public School System. Both districts have a history of voluntary integration efforts, and research shows that racially diverse countywide districts can make integration more feasible. However, as courts constrain mechanisms used in policies to establish/maintain racial integration, it is crucial to examine how school boards make policy decisions while navigating the politics of their communities and competing conceptions surrounding racial diversity. Research Method/Approach: This study employed qualitative case study methods to understand under what circumstances school boards are creating policy, paying particular attention to the local sociopolitical and geographic contexts. Data collected consisted of 37 interviews with school district officials and community stakeholders. Mainstream and specialty media articles, legal documents, and policy documents from the districts or other governmental bodies also helped frame the local contexts. Findings and Lessons Learned: The two districts in our study illustrate political and legal factors that create complex environments to pursue school-level diversity even in districts with a long history of diversity policies. Our study also illustrates the difficult role of the superintendent and school boards in leading diverse communities with different histories and experiences as they navigate the local politics of diversity amid a variety of competing policy goals. We conclude with implications including the importance of remaining vigilant about student diversity efforts and perfecting technical details to minimize politicization about diversity policies.

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The Politics of Maintaining Diversity Policies in Demographically Changing Urban-Suburban School Districts

Cited by 17 publications

References 26 publications

Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration

Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration

School Punishment and Education: Racial/Ethnic Disparities With Grade Retention and the Role of Urbanicity

Factors That Influence School Board Policy Making

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