Attendance zone segregation

2021
united states

Attendance zone segregation refers to the practice of intentionally or unintentionally creating attendance zones for schools that result in the segregation of students based on their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. This can occur when attendance boundaries are drawn to concentrate students from low-income neighborhoods or racial minority groups in certain schools, while students from wealthier or predominantly white neighborhoods attend other schools. The result is a perpetuation of educational inequities and unequal access to resources and opportunities. Attendance zone segregation can contribute to the achievement gap and exacerbate social and economic disparities in society.

Further reading

Taylor K.; Frankenberg E. (2021) "Student Assignment Policies and Racial and Income Segregation of Schools, School Attendance Zones, and Neighborhoods", Educational Administration Quarterly, 57(5), pp. 747-775. SAGE Publications Inc.. DOI: 10.1177/0013161X211024720