Search and Filter

Tip: use "quotes" for an exact phrase, like "teacher turnover".
Browse institutions A–Z

A system designed to preserve the status quo: New York City Public Schools’ kindergarten choice program

Analysts examined which students did and did not receive their first-choice school. Given the priority system in place, it is not at all surprising that over-subscribed and high-quality schools enroll smaller proportions of students from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds. Specifically, Black students were 14 percentage points less likely to match with their first-choice school than White students. In fact, the priority ranking system essentially explains the demographic differences observed: A model that controlled for the priority rankings of students reduced the Black/White difference in the probability of a first-choice match from 14 percentage points to less than 1 percentage point. The pattern was similar for Hispanic students.