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How Economic Segregation Affects Children's Educational Attainment

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  • Susan E. Mayer

Abstract

Economic segregation increased in the United States between 1970 and 1990. Three hypotheses suggest that this would affect low-income children's educational attainment. The political economy of school funding and predicts that economically segregated school districts reduce the educational attainment of low-income children. Two other hypotheses emphasize the effect of inequality within neighborhoods. But they produce opposite predictions about the effect of economic segregation on educational attainment. None of the hypothesis provides a firm prediction about the effect of economic segregation on overall educational attainment. I combine Census data with data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamic to show that an increase in economic segregation between census tracts in the same state hardly changes overall educational attainment but it exacerbates inequality between high-income and low-income children. With overall inequality held constant changes in economic inequality within census tracts have little effect on low-income children's educational attainment.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan E. Mayer, 2001. "How Economic Segregation Affects Children's Educational Attainment," JCPR Working Papers 235, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:wop:jopovw:235
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    Cited by:

    1. Miguel Vargas Román, 2012. "Economic Residential Segregation and Educational Achievements: Evidence from Chile," ERSA conference papers ersa12p170, European Regional Science Association.
    2. Linda Loubert, 2005. "Discrimination in education financing," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 32(3), pages 17-27, March.
    3. Lugo, Maria Ana, 2011. "Heterogenous peer effects, segregation and academic attainment," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5718, The World Bank.
    4. Casilda Lasso de la Vega & Oscar Volij, 2020. "The Measurement Of Income Segregation," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 61(4), pages 1479-1500, November.
    5. Elasra, Amira, 2024. "Comparing High Achievers to Low Achievers : An Examination of Student Inputs versus School Inputs in the Educational Outcomes of English Adolescent," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1503, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    6. Oberwittler, Dietrich, 2007. "The effects of ethnic and social segregation on children and adolescents: Recent research and results from a German multilevel study," Discussion Papers, Programme on Intercultural Conflicts and Societal Integration (AKI) SP IV 2007-603, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    7. Krista Perreira & Kathleen Harris & Dohoon Lee, 2006. "Making it in America: High school completion by immigrant and native youth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(3), pages 511-536, August.

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