Quality Schools and Healthy Neighborhoods: A Research Report

The text below is an excerpt from the complete document. Read the full report in PDF format.

Abstract

Over the last decade, the District of Columbia implemented bold steps to improve its public schools while also experiencing population growth, property value increases, and strong city fiscal health. But its child population (0-17 years old) remained essentially the same and a dwindling share of the city’s children was attending the public schools.

This research report describes in-depth the relationships between education, housing, and neighborhood development in the District of Columbia, and it is the basis for the subsequent policy research report, Quality Schools, Healthy Neighborhoods, and the Future of DC, which outlines recommended policies to make the District a more family-friendly city.

Introduction

The research of the Quality Schools and Healthy Neighborhoods study team is intended to help the District of Columbia create a firm analytical basis for planning for quality schools to meet the needs of the city’s families. It is also intended to highlight the relationship between quality schools and neighborhoods. This research provides a baseline for assessing change in the District’s public schools. The research and analysis from this report were the basis for the findings and policy recommendations of an accompanying policy report entitled: Quality Schools, Healthy Neighborhoods and the Future of DC.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) commissioned this study with the original impetus from a federal directive to study the choices parents are making in choosing schools, the relationship between school choice and school quality, and between school choice and neighborhood development. The research is a joint effort of Brookings, the Urban Institute, and the 21st Century School Fund. Together, the three Washington, DC based organizations bring unique perspectives and expertise on education, housing, and neighborhood development in the District.

In the first chapter of the research report, we provide an overview of neighborhoods and public schools in the District of Columbia, as well as a comprehensive profile of the students attending public primary and secondary schools in the District in the 2003-04 through 2006-07 school years. We use data to analyze the full spectrum of public education options in the city: DC Public Schools (DCPS), public charter schools, and to a more limited extent, voucher-supported private schools. In this chapter we describe the great diversity of public schools in the District of Columbia and who is attending them. Using student level address data, we describe how far students travel to attend DCPS and public charter schools. Chapter One is informed by the data and analysis documented in Appendix A in Volume II of this report.

Chapter Two examines the supply of the District’s public schools as of school year 2006-07. This chapter describes key attributes of both DCPS and public charter elementary and secondary schools as measured by indicators of the level of school resources, the extent of school risks as measured by student demographic and educational profiles, and the school results as measured by the average student scores on DCCAS. Chapter Two is informed by the data and analysis documented in Appendix B in Volume II of this report. Chapter Three examines the demand for public schools across the city and what qualities characterize schools in high and low demand. It reports on focus groups conducted with parents around the city that shed light on factors that contribute to the choice of one type of school over another. This chapter also explores student mobility among and between DCPS and public charter schools, including whether students stay with a school through the last grade offered or exit early to another public school. Chapter Three is primarily informed by the data and analysis documented in Appendix C in Volume II of this report.

Finally, Chapter Four examines public school attributes in relationship to the housing market and neighborhood trends. It looks at how neighborhood attributes, such as changes in the housing market, relate to both the supply of and demand for public schools. Chapter Four is informed by student and school level data from Chapters One through Three, as well as data and analysis documented in Appendix D in Volume II of this report.

(End of excerpt. The entire report is available in PDF format.)

Appendices

Appendices Table of Contents

Appendix A - Chapter 1: General School and Student Enrollment

Appendix B - Chapter 2: School Attributes

Appendix C - Chapter 3: School Demand

Appendix D - Chapter 4: Neighborhoods

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

Usage, posting and reprint of materials on the UI web site:

Most publications may be downloaded free of charge from the web site in PDF format. This information may be used and copies made for research, academic, policy or other non-commercial purposes. Proper attribution is required.

Copyright of the written materials contained within the Urban Institute website is owned or controlled by the Urban Institute. Posting UI research papers on other websites is permitted subject to prior approval from the Urban Institute—contact paffairs@urban.org.

If you are unable to access or print the PDF document please contact us or call the Publications Office at (202) 261-5687.