Balanced News Blog

In Raleigh, North Carolina, reading and math test scores have jumped over the past 10 years. Officials and parents alike say that it’s all due to the school district’s efforts to integrate the schools economically, making sure since 2000 that each school has no more than 40% students from low-income families.

Richard D. Kahlenberg, who has written about economic integration in schools said:

“Low-income students who have an opportunity to go to middle-class schools are surrounded by peers who have bigger dreams and who are more academically engaged. They are surrounded by parents who are more likely to be active in the school. And they are taught by teachers who more likely are highly qualified than the teachers in low-income schools.”

Each year, the district develops a list of students for reassignment for the next school year. Some parents are opposed to the mandatory assignments, one reason being the long bus rides for their children.

SOURCE: NYTimes.com