| Vivien Wen-Chun Chen
Pennsylvania State University
The effect of neighborhood segregation on school choice
This study will illuminate policy debates on school choice by gauging the influences of neighborhood segregation in American society. The investigation will discover the extent to which disadvantaged and segregated neighborhoods constrain school selection, and how the relationship between neighborhood segregation and school choice is mediated through the availability of schools. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS) and four other sources of data, the study will address five research questions: (1) How does school choice differ among racial/ethnic and nativity groups? (2) Does the level of neighborhood segregation affect parental school choice? (3) Does the relationship between neighborhood segregation and school choice vary by racial/ethnic and nativity groups? (4) What quantity and quality of schools are available in highly segregated neighborhoods? (5) Does school availability, in terms of both quantity and quality, mediate the relationship between neighborhood segregation and school choice for different minority and nativity groups? This study can provide useful information for policymakers regarding equalizing opportunities for educational choice in segregated disadvantaged neighborhoods.
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