Choosing Schools in Choice Neighborhoods: Impacts of Student Mobility, School Composition, and Case Management on Academic Outcomes

This study examines the academic impacts of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI), a federal public housing revitalization program, focusing on how case management, student mobility, and school compositional change intersect to shape outcomes. Using an eight-year student-level panel (2015–2023), we estimate three-way fixed effects models that account for school year, grade, and individual factors. Academic outcomes include standardized test scores in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.
While student transfers alone are not linked to performance, negative math effects emerge when students transfer into CNI schools without compositional improvements—suggesting academic disruption or lateral moves. In contrast, moves into less economically distressed or more racially segregated schools are associated with academic gains, especially in reading, potentially reflecting greater cultural congruence or reduced racial threat. Case management is most beneficial when aligned with school transitions: students who moved and received USI support saw ELA improvements, while non-movers benefitted in math. Mobility also moderates the impact of compositional change—students making lateral moves experienced declines, whereas upward contextual mobility led to gains.

Subgroup analyses reveal that boys are more responsive to case management, especially during transitions and in improved school contexts, while girls benefit more from returning to familiar environments and show resilience in worsening conditions. Age-based patterns indicate that older students benefit most when case management coincides with school change, while younger students thrive when support is provided in place. These findings underscore the need for developmentally and contextually tailored supports during neighborhood redevelopment.

Our findings underscore the importance of situating educational interventions within the broader contexts of school change and student movement. Effective supports like case management may be especially potent when timed to key transition points, and school composition shifts—whether experienced through a transfer or in place—carry significant academic implications. This study advances intersectional and contextual understandings of how neighborhood redevelopment policies shape educational opportunities for low-income, racially minoritized students.