Crossing District Lines: The Impact of Urban–Suburban Desegregation Programs on Educational Attainments

Abstract

Interdistrict desegregation programs, which provide opportunities for urban children of color to attend suburban schools, are a potential means of addressing persistent racial inequalities in educational opportunities and outcomes. These voluntary programs offer a test of whether nonresident students can leverage the resources and social capital available at high-performing suburban schools to improve their educational outcomes. In the first impact study of Boston’s long-running program, I find large differences in the adjusted high-school graduation and college enrollment rates of applicants referred to a suburban district, compared with observably similar applicants who were not referred. The college effect is due to enrollment in 4-year institutions and does not vary by gender. Estimates are robust to adjustments for remaining omitted variables bias.