This report provides an analysis at how schools serving different populations are rated under the New York City school system. We focus on determining the level of quality, according to the Progress Report grades, of the schools attended by the most vulnerable of student populations, as well as the level of access students have to quality schools in different community school districts.
Our key findings include:
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Schools with higher percentages of Black and Latino students received lower Progress Report grades.
According to the Progress Report grading system, Black and Latino students tended to be more concentrated in lower-quality schools, especially at the high school level. -
School demographics play an important role in predicting grades at the high school level.
The proportion of Black and Latino, free and reduced lunch, and special education students explains, along with school size, more than one-third of high schools’ Progress Report grades. The high schools serving the most vulnerable and high-need student populations received significantly lower quality ratings. -
The high school selection process appears to be contributing to the concentration of Black and Latino students in low-quality schools.
A higher proportion of Black and Latino students are concentrated in less selective high schools, which also tended to receive lower Progress Report ratings. -
Schools with low Progress Report grades are concentrated in the Community School Districts with the highest proportions of Black and Latino students.
In general, for both 2006-07 and 2007-08, districts that have higher enrollment of Black and Latino students had higher percentages of schools with low grades (e.g., D or F) and lower percentages of schools with high grades (e.g., A or B). These findings indicate that Black and Latino students have inequitable access to high quality schools.