Study Finds Racial Segregation Deepening in Public Education
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds that racial segregation has been deepening in public education, leading to an 11 percent increase in the number of Latino and Black students now enrolled in impoverished schools across the country.
Published on the anniversary of the 1964 landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, researchers also found evidence of growing racial divides lingering in the world of public education.
Impacted Schools Among Most Poverty Stricken Across Country
The schools in question were found to be among the most poverty-stricken, minority-segregated schools in operation from 2001 to 2014, with more than 75 to 100 percent of Latino and Black student body eligible for price-reduced lunch, a widely accepted indicator of one's poverty-stricken status.
These schools were also found to have offered students fewer options for STEM courses and advanced placement, college-prep courses. Researchers found roughly 48 percent of high-poverty schools offer AP courses, while 72 percent of low-poverty schools -- with 0 to 25 percent of students on free, reduced lunches -- offered such courses.
Magnet Schools Neglecting Minorities?
The report further claims despite their open enrollment policies, magnet schools did not accept minority students in order to maintain an even ratio of white and minority students.
"The GAO's report clearly shows that the ability of African-American and Latino students to access a diverse, high-quality public education is declining and that decline is fueled by the increasing privatization of our public schools," said Jitu Brown, national director of Journey for Justice, in a statement. "This research reflects a sad reality: the color of your skin is more likely to determine whether you have access to a high-quality, well-resourced and diverse public school."
Researchers concluded the three districts monitored by GAO have now taken some steps to address the glaring racial and economic disparities in public educational facilities. Among the new measures has been the implementation of magnet schools within certain districts, all in hopes of attracting a more diverse student body.
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