The Cost of Racial Segregation:

Measuring Inequity in the St. Louis Public School System

 

Syrus Duffy
Dr. Jason J. McDonald , Faculty Mentor

Racial segregation has negatively impacted the quality of education in America’s public schools for much of their existence. The St. Louis metropolitan area is as a national model for severe racial segregation induced inequities. Current scholarship acknowledges deficiencies within the education system, but has thus far failed to directly tie economic inequality caused by de facto racial segregation to a comprehensive standard of educational equality in public K-12 schools. This study determines education equality using three overarching criteria: district curriculum, facilities and materials, and teacher quality. With knowledge that racial demographics influences a school district’s ability to fund education this study aims to determine the costs associated with persistent segregation. Believing that the quality of education for K-12 students suffers when segregation rates are highest, particularly among minority populations, this study will investigate districts that best represent the overall state of education in the St. Louis region.

Keywords: segregation, education, equality

Topic(s):Education
History
Political Science

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA