Writing in Education Week, TC's Priscilla Wohlstetter and Matthew M. Gonzales and Amy K. Wang, graduates of the College's Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, are conducting a landmark study of charter schools and charter networks to learn why they prioritize diversity, whether and how they have achieved it and whether there is a positive impact on student performance. 

"Our findings suggest that integration at diverse charters is authentic, at least in the 21 schools we studied," the authors write. The data is still preliminary, but "some upticks" in student achievement have emerged. Conclusion: Like charters, all public schools should have the flexibility to enroll diverse students by drawing from different communities outside attendance areas that have concentrations of poverty. Until they do, "the likelihood of achieving socioeconomic integration in urban schools seems very dim indeed." 

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Published Monday, Jun 27, 2016