FYI from BSF, 6.14.24
With Brown v. Board turning 70 and Boston busing turning 50, the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RIAC) released a report on school segregation in Massachusetts with some startling data (start at page 23) and recommendations (start at page 9).
Although the plurality of Massachusetts school children attend racially diverse schools, the overwhelming majority attend a school that is racially segregated.
Putting aside the broader civic and moral concerns, racial segregation correlates to disparate schooling outcomes, on everything from standardized test scores to high school graduation rates.
Similar to other Massachusetts cities, Boston’s data reflects more extreme trends. ~9 of out 10 children in Boston attend a segregated school.
This is even more piqued in Boston’s charter school sector, where only one school is racially diverse.
This report should not be a surprise. Massachusetts has one of the higher rates of residential segregation in the country. This reality is amplified - or perhaps created by - the tradition of hyper local control of schools in the Commonwealth, with lines often intentionally placed and maintained between communities.
Massachusetts and Maryland have nearly the same number of school-aged children. We have 351 school districts; Maryland has 27. Guess which state has more diverse schools? In Massachusetts, property taxes and zoning codes are moats, masked as Toquevillean virtue.
In Boston, there is evidence that the school assignment system - which promised quality “closer to home” - is also contributing to racial imbalancing in schools.
But this is not just driven by laws and regulations. Perceptions of race - conscious and unconscious - affect family’s perceptions of school quality. Boston charter schools are not a part of local school assignment processes, and can even draw from school districts outside of Boston. Enrollment in Boston charter schools is open to all Boston families, and Boston’s families’ preferences are strikingly clear by race.
While the research basis for school diversity is clear (even in college), it pushes up very closely to an argument that a student’s background is determinative of her performance in school, or schools themselves are simply demographic reflections.
Even in the Boston data, you can see exceptions.
Boston has 14 racially diverse schools. 13 are elementary/middle schools, and they outperform Massachusetts’ intensely segregated white schools in several measures.
Boston charter schools' student population is nearly 100% students of color. And, yet, their high school graduation rates are significantly higher than the research would imply.
Yes, there are housing, income, wealth, and health gaps inextricably tied with race that impact school performance. And, yes, school still matters - the quality of the leadership, the effectiveness of the teachers, the use of curriculum and pedagogy that is sound and relevant, etc.
After several generations of attempts, something new and bold is needed to make meaningful progress. There is a widening gap between our stated values and what our schools actually look like.
notes in the margin
On Wednesday, Boston City Council passed the BPS budget, 10-3.
A portrayal of “school refusal,” which is contributing to chronic absenteeism. A further complication? Families don’t know what “chronic absenteeism” is.
A deeper dive on the pilot in Peabody to enforce traffic safety through cameras on school buses.
Boston teenagers can join the YMCA for free this summer.
Despite declines in many measures, Massachusetts ranks near the top for child well-being in the annual Kids Count report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
other matters
Thanks to all who came out to celebrate 10 years of BSF last night. We were grateful to hear from and highlight the continued leadership of Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell, Shannah Varon, Lorena Lopera, and Dr. Christine Copeland.
