The Interactive Effects of Race, Gender and School Composition on College Track Placement

Bibliographic Data

ID2960745
AuthorsSouthworth, S H Southworth (0000-0002-7745-7629, University of North Carolina at Charlotte), S Southworth, Roslyn Arlin Mickelson (0000-0003-2578-0659, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, corresponding author)
Year2007
Volume86
Issue2
Pages497-523
Publication date2007-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Forces (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-7732 • E-ISSN: 1534-7605
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/sf/86.2.497
OpenAlexW2014091338
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited24

This article investigates how organizational features of high schools interact with students' ascriptive characteristics to shape opportunities to learn. It advances previous research by examining the intersection of students' gender-by-race cohort with their high schools' racial composition on their Grade 12 English track placement in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Using HLM with a sample of seniors, we find that school racial composition has significant effects on the track placement of different race-gender cohorts, and that schools' racial compositions interact with students' ascriptive characteristics in these processes. Net of prior achievement, track placements are influenced by individual and family characteristics, as well as school racial composition. Attending a racially imbalanced school affects students' chances of enrolling in college-prep tracks. Racially balanced high schools offer all students the greatest equality of access to college prep tracks.

Art · Composition (language) · Library science · Race (biology) · Racial composition · Sociology · Track (disk drive) · Computer Science · Critical Race Theory in Education · Engineering · Gender Studies · Higher Education Research Studies · Psychology · School Choice and Performance

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