Within-school segregation

Date and country of first publication

2005
United States

Definition

Within-school segregation refers to the division or clustering of students within individual schools based on factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or academic achievement. This segregation occurs within the physical confines of a single educational institution and is often the result of tracking or ability grouping practices, as well as social dynamics within the school environment.

Key aspects of within-school segregation include:

Tracking and Ability Grouping: Schools may use tracking systems or ability grouping to organize students into different classes or academic programs based on perceived academic ability or achievement levels. This can result in the segregation of students into distinct tracks or classes, with certain groups disproportionately represented in higher or lower-level courses.

Racial and Ethnic Segregation: Within-school segregation can also occur along racial or ethnic lines, with students from different racial or ethnic backgrounds disproportionately clustered in certain classrooms or academic programs within the same school.

Socioeconomic Segregation: Socioeconomic factors can contribute to within-school segregation, with students from low-income families often concentrated in separate classrooms or programs within a school compared to their more affluent peers.

Language Segregation: In schools with large numbers of English language learners or bilingual students, language proficiency can also be a factor contributing to within-school segregation, with students grouped based on their language abilities.

Within-school segregation is distinct from school segregation, which refers to the separation of students into different schools based on demographic or socioeconomic factors. While school segregation typically involves the physical separation of students across different educational institutions, within-school segregation occurs within the boundaries of a single school.

Addressing within-school segregation requires efforts to promote equity and inclusivity within educational institutions, including strategies to reduce tracking and ability grouping practices that perpetuate disparities, as well as initiatives to promote diversity and integration within classrooms and academic programs.

Synonyms

The following terms are synonymous with within-school segregation:

within school segregation.

References and literature addressing this segregation form under these synonymous terms can be found below.

Related segregation forms

Within-school segregation is frequently discussed in the literature with the following segregation forms:

racial segregation, school segregation, ethnic segregation, hispanic segregation, neighborhood segregation, friendship segregation, social segregation

This visualization is based on the study The Multidisciplinary Landscape of Segregation Research.

For the complete network of interrelated segregation forms, please refer to:

• First year of publication

• Louvain clusters

• Betweenness centrality

• Disciplines in which segregation forms first emerged (Scopus database).

Notes

At its current state, this definition has been generated by a Large Language Model (LLM) so far without review by an independent researcher or a member of the curating team of segregation experts that keep the Segregation Wiki online. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee its reliability, completeness and timeliness. Please use this content with caution and verify information as needed. Also, feel free to improve on the definition as you see fit, including the use of references and other informational resources. We value your input in enhancing the quality and accuracy of the definitions of segregation forms collectively offered in the Segregation Wiki ©.

Within-school segregation appears in the following literature

Conger D. (2005). Within school segregation in an urban school district. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 27(3), 225-244. SAGE Publications Inc..https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737027003225

Card D., Rothstein J. (2007). Racial segregation and the black white test score gap. Journal of Public Economics, 91(11-12), 2158-2184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.03.006

Lee M., Madyun N. (2008). School racial composition and academic achievement: The case of Hmong LEP students in the USA. Educational Studies, 34(4), 319-331. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055690802257051

Arcidiacono P., Aucejo E., Hussey A., Spenner K. (2013). Racial segregation patterns in selective universities. Journal of Law and Economics, 56(4), 1039-1060. https://doi.org/10.1086/674056

Treviño E., Valenzuela J.P., Villalobos C. (2016). Within school segregation in the Chilean school system: What factors explain it? How efficient is this practice for fostering student achievement and equity?. Learning and Individual Differences, 51(), 367-375. Elsevier Ltd.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.08.021

Francis B., Connolly P., Archer L., Hodgen J., Mazenod A., Pepper D., Sloan S., Taylor B., Tereshchenko A., Travers M.-C. (2017). Attainment Grouping as self fulfilling prophesy? A mixed methods exploration of self confidence and set level among Year 7 students. International Journal of Educational Research, 86(), 96-108. Elsevier Ltd.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2017.09.001

Ivaniushina V., Makles A.M., Schneider K., Alexandrov D. (2019). School segregation in St. Petersburg the role of socioeconomic status. Education Economics, 27(2), 166-185. Routledge.https://doi.org/10.1080/09645292.2018.1538408

Mele A. (202). Does school desegregation promote diverse interactions? An equilibrium model of segregation within schools. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 12(2), 228-257. American Economic Association.https://doi.org/10.1257/POL.20170604

Drake S.J. (202). The Segregation of “Failures”: Unequal Schools and Disadvantaged Students in an Affluent Suburb. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 25(3), 201-224. Routledge.https://doi.org/10.1080/10824669.2019.1687301

Charmillot S., Felouzis G. (202). Modes of Grouping Students, Segregation and Educational Inequalities. A Longitudinal Analysis of a Cohort of Students in Switzerland; [Modos de Agrupación de Estudiantes, Segregación y Desigualdades Educativas. Un Análisis Longitudinal de una Cohorte de Estudiantes en Suiza]. REICE. Revista Iberoamericana Sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educacion, 18(4), 31-56. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.https://doi.org/10.15366/REICE2020.18.4.002

Francis D.V., Darity W.A. (2021). Separate and unequal under one roof: How the legacy of racialized tracking perpetuates within school segregation. RSF, 7(1), 187-202. Russell Sage Foundation.https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2021.7.1.11

Garrett Delavan M., Freire J.A., Morita-Mullaney T. (2022). Conscripted into thinking of scarce, selective, privatized, and precarious seats in dual language bilingual education: the choice discourse of mercenary exclusivity. Current Issues in Language Planning, -. Routledge.https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2022.2077032

Dalane K., Marcotte D.E. (2022). The Segregation of Students by Income in Public Schools. Educational Researcher, 51(4), 245-254. SAGE Publications Inc..https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221081853