Research Report Going the Distance: Understand the Benefits of a Long Commute to School
Patrick Denice, Betheny Gross
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In an analysis of 3,100 students entering ninth grade in Denver, this report identified 1,000 “super travelers,” students willing to travel farther or past more schools to get to their first-choice high school. Super travelers’ first-choice schools had better academic outcomes, fewer disciplinary incidents, and more advanced courses and dual-language programs than schools closer to home. Though most super travelers could have found a closer school with one of these qualities, only 22 percent could find a similar package of benefits nearer to home. The likelihood of being a super traveler varied by race and ethnicity and by socioeconomic status.
Research Areas Education
Tags K-12 education Secondary education
Policy Centers Income and Benefits Policy Center Center on Education Data and Policy