Connecticut Voices for Children, a statewide advocacy organization, issued a report last April examining the racial and ethnic makeup of the state’s magnet, charter, public, and technical schools. The report,
Choice Watch: Diversity and Access in Connecticut’s School Choice Programs, found that:
- Bridgeport’s, Hartford’s, New Haven’s, and Stamford’s magnet schools tend to be more racially and ethnically integrated than the cities’ other public schools. By contrast, Bridgeport’s and Hartford’s technical schools are slightly more segregated than their public schools (New Haven and Stamford have no technical schools), while their charter schools are more racially and ethnically segregated than the local public schools in all four cities.
- The four cities’ school choice programs are typically more integrated by socioeconomic status than the local public schools, reflecting the fact that these programs are less likely to enroll low-income students. Charter schools in Stamford and New Haven prove the exception to this rule, with Stamford charter schools less and New Haven schools comparably integrated.
- Emerging bilingual students are underrepresented in every choice program in each of the four cities.
- Students with disabilities are underrepresented in every choice program in the large cities, with the exception of Stamford’s charter schools, where they are overrepresented.
