School Choice in a Post-Desegregation World

Abstract

In contrast to unregulated school choice, regulated choice programs oversee the assignment of students to schools with equity in mind. This article puts forth evidence for three claims with respect to unregulated and regulated school choice: (c) Unregulated choice plans tend to exacerbate the stratification of students along race, class, and achievement lines; (b) regulated choice programs have the potential to increase the integration of schools and, at the very least, to prevent further social stratification; and (c) the evidence that suggests unregulated choice programs lead to improved academic achievement or curriculum innovation is unconvincing. By influencing the racial and social class composition of schools, choice programs help determine the human capital obtained by students and families. Exposure to new cultural and social forms of human capital can lead to enhanced life opportunities for all children, but particularly to those who do not otherwise have access to such capital in a hegemonic society. Considerations of social justice suggest that policymakers should continue to search for ways to design school choice programs that promote integration.

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