| Title: |
School Choice Enrollment Systems in Large U.S. Cities: Implications for Integration and Equitable Access. Technical Report |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Jon Valant (ORCID 0000-0001-6478-8181); Jane Arnold Lincove (ORCID 0000-0001-6656-8537); Nicolas Zerbino (ORCID 0009-0005-3217-6531); National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH) |
| Source: |
National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice. 2025. |
| Availability: |
National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice. 1555 Poydras Street Suite 700, New Orleans, LA 70112. Tel: 870-540-6576; e-mail: info@reachcentered.org; Web site: https://reachcentered.org/ |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
60 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Institute of Education Sciences (ED) |
| Contract Number: |
R305C180025 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Elementary Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
School Districts; Elementary Schools; Secondary Schools; Centralization; School Segregation; School Choice; Enrollment Influences; African American Students; Hispanic American Students; White Students; Disproportionate Representation; School Policy; Metropolitan Areas; Urban Areas; Enrollment Rate |
| Abstract: |
Many cities have adopted unified enrollment (UE) systems that centralize the school choice application and assignment process. We examine the proliferation of these systems in large U.S. cities, focusing on whether adopting UE affects integration or access. We use Callaway and Sant'Anna difference-in-differences (CSDID) models to test if UE implementation changes systemwide racial and ethnic segregation levels. We then use comparative interrupted time series (CITS) models to test if UE changes enrollment patterns in schools that were disproportionately White before UE. We find little evidence of immediate effects. However, over time, we see incremental reductions in segregation and increases in nonwhite enrollment in schools where these students had been underrepresented. We discuss these findings alongside descriptions of notable UE policies. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| IES Funded: |
Yes |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
ED678935 |
| Database: |
ERIC |