Segregation and the Black-White Test Score Gap

Jacob Vigdor and Jens Ludwig

No 12988, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: The mid-1980s witnessed breaks in two important trends related to race and schooling. School segregation, which had been declining, began a period of relative stasis. Black-white test score gaps, which had also been declining, also stagnated. The notion that these two phenomena may be related is also supported by basic cross-sectional evidence. We review existing literature on the relationship between neighborhood- and school-level segregation and the test score gap. Several recent studies point to a statistically significant causal relationship between school segregation and the test score gap, though in many cases the magnitude of the relationship is small in economic terms. Experimental studies, as well as methodologically convincing non-experimental studies, suggest that there is little if any causal role for neighborhood segregation operating through a mechanism other than school segregation.

JEL-codes: I2 J15 R2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hrm, nep-soc and nep-ure
Note: CH ED
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published as Magnuson, K. and J. Waldfogel (eds.) "Steady Gains and Stalled Progress: Inequality and the Black-White Test Score Gap." Russell Sage, 2008.

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