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As D.C. Grows More Diverse, Report Shows Public Schools Remain Racially Segregated | WAMU

December 17, 2018
  • D.C. Policy Center

On December 17, 2018, WAMU explored the findings of Landscape of Diversity in D.C. Public Schools, a new report by Education Policy Initiative Director Chelsea Coffin:

D.C. residents talk about the city’s shifting demographics all the time. Since 2006, the District has become wealthier, whiter and younger. And residents see the changes all around them, particularly in new housing developments and rising rent prices. But these demographic changes are less evident in schools, according to a new report.

D.C. Policy Center, a local non-partisan think-tank, released a report today showing that although schools are becoming more economically diverse, racial and ethnic diversity within schools remains low. Wards 2 and 3 are the least socioeconomically diverse, while Wards 7 and 8 have the least racial and ethnic diversity. The report is based on data from 2014-2017.

“We found that when we overlaid both types of diversity, only eight schools were the most diverse in each category, which was surprising to me,” says Chelsea Coffin, a director at the D.C. Policy Center.

Read more: As D.C. Grows More Diverse, Report Shows Public Schools Remain Racially Segregated | WAMU

Related: Landscape of Diversity in D.C. Public Schools | D.C. Policy Center

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D.C. Policy Center


Established in 2016, the D.C. Policy Center is a non-partisan research and policy organization committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. Through rigorous research and collaboration, the D.C. Policy Center develops and tests policy ideas, disseminates its findings, and engages in constructive dialogue and debate.

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