| Karen Ross
University of Michigan
Competition versus equity: The effect of school choice on segregation in Michigan public schools
FINAL REPORT
The main goal of this study was to understand the racial context of the charter school movement in Michigan. The results indicate that while at first glance charter schools appear to be serving distinct populations, the racial composition of charter schools is not dramatically different from traditional public schools located in their vicinity. However, charter schools are significantly more likely to locate in districts where black and Latino students are more isolated from white students in traditional public schools. Even though this trend can be seen in a positive light in that the supply of charter schools is responding to a desire for greater educational options on the part of black and Latino families, there is also a down side: in districts with high proportions of students in charter schools, several forms of public school segregation have been exacerbated.
The policy implications of the results presented here are both positive and negative, in that good intentions seem to be having some unintended yet negative consequences. The fact that charter schools are aiming to serve more disadvantaged districts is important, given that some feared that they would target more affluent or white populations. However, the results presented here also show that, when charter schools enroll a large share of the public school population, they are significantly increasing several dimensions of segregation. From a policy standpoint, these results do not point to a simple solution. Some states have racial balance provisions in their charter school legislation, such as requiring that the racial composition of charter schools reflect that of the district in which they are located; these results, however, suggest that such provisions would not be effective in Michigan. Given that the main effects occur when charter schools serve large proportions of the public school population, it is possible that a more appropriate policy instrument for managing segregation levels may be a cap on the percentage of a district that charter schools may serve. In sum, while Michigan prides itself on having one of the most liberal charter school laws in the country, some retooling may be needed to address the increasing segregation for students remaining in traditional public schools.
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