Isolated and Segregated: A New Look at the Income Divide in Our Nation's Schooling System

Austin, Texas' long history of segregation can be felt in the public schooling system. More than three-quarters of Austin's public schools, for instance, have a poverty rate that is either 80 percent and higher or 40 percent and lower. But deeply ingrained and pervasive economic segregatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2017
Main Authors: Boser, Ulrich, Baffour, Perpetual
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Center for American Progress
Economic policy
Education
Government
Social conditions & trends
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:Austin, Texas' long history of segregation can be felt in the public schooling system. More than three-quarters of Austin's public schools, for instance, have a poverty rate that is either 80 percent and higher or 40 percent and lower. But deeply ingrained and pervasive economic segregation in Austin's public schools is no isolated incident. In fact, it reflects a disturbing, nationwide trend. Millions of students across the country attend schools that are intensely segregated by economic status. Rising income inequality has contributed to these trends of economic segregation and thus further exacerbates many of the nation's student achievement issues. Moreover, all students---rich or poor, white and nonwhite alike---miss out on the substantial benefits of learning in richly diverse classrooms. As the research shows, students across the spectrum are better prepared for post-secondary success when they have been educated in diverse schools and have learned alongside peers who come from all walks of life. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in creating schools that are economically integrated.