While much attention has been paid to racial achievement gaps, the test score gaps between students from low-income and high-income families are actually much larger. Improving access to high-quality public schools for low-income students may act as a lever for closing the gap by providing equitable educational opportunities for students who have fewer economic resources at home. In this study, researchers from the UChicago Consortium and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago use data from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to compare outcomes for students who do and do not attend SEHSs, using a regression discontinuity design. It studies first-time ninth graders in CPS cohorts entering high school from 2010-2013. Specific attention is given to differences between students from low- and high-income neighborhoods (i.e., tier 1, tier 4 in the CPS admissions process). All SEHS students report more positive high school experiences (e.g. safety and relationships with teachers and peers). Overall, there are no benefits to test scores, high school graduation, college enrollment, and college selectivity. However, students from low-income neighborhoods who attend SEHSs may have lower GPAs and be less likely to attend a selective college. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms driving these findings.
A working paper is a work in progress intended to contribute to current conversations in research, policy, and practice in a timely manner. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are preliminary thoughts solely of the author(s) and shared with permission of the author(s). These preliminary findings, interpretations, and conclusions may change upon further interrogation and collaboration with UChicago Consortium colleagues and other stakeholders in our work.
