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Composition Matters: The Relationship Between Race and School Racial Composition in Explaining the Black-White Gap
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COMPOSITION MATTERS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE
AND SCHOOL COMPOSITION IN EXPLAINING THE
BLACK-WHITE GAP
Elizabeth Covay
University of Notre Dame
Department of Sociology
September 2008
Do Not Cite without Author’s Permission
The author would like to thank William Carbonaro, Sean Kelly, David Sikkink, Rich Williams, and Maureen Hallinan for their feedback on this project. Please direct all correspondence to: Elizabeth Covay (
## email not listed ##
), University of Notre Dame,
Department of Sociology, 810 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556.
Despite over fifty years since Brown v. Board, there are still racial differences in
terms of test scores and course taking. This study uses the institutional perspective to explore Black-White differences in high school course taking. Schools as institutions tend to have pre-existing structures in which students are fit into. Because of the pre-existing structures, the composition of the school is likely to influence a student’s course placement, which in turns relates to the student’s opportunities to learn. Using ELS, I find that black students are more likely to take advanced math courses in high school net of background characteristics compared to white students. The likelihood of black students taking advanced math courses increases as the percent minority within the school increases. However, black students receive lower returns on advanced level math course taking compared to white students, especially in schools with higher percentages of minority populations.
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| | Authors: Covay, Elizabeth. |
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COMPOSITION MATTERS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE
AND SCHOOL COMPOSITION IN EXPLAINING THE
BLACK-WHITE GAP
Elizabeth Covay
University of Notre Dame
Department of Sociology
September 2008
Do Not Cite without Author’s Permission
The author would like to thank William Carbonaro, Sean Kelly, David Sikkink, Rich
Williams, and Maureen Hallinan for their feedback on this project. Please direct all
correspondence to: Elizabeth Covay (
), University of Notre Dame,
Department of Sociology, 810 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556.
Despite over fifty years since Brown v. Board, there are still racial differences in
terms of test scores and course taking. This study uses the institutional perspective to
explore Black-White differences in high school course taking. Schools as institutions tend
to have pre-existing structures in which students are fit into. Because of the pre-existing
structures, the composition of the school is likely to influence a student’s course placement,
which in turns relates to the student’s opportunities to learn. Using ELS, I find that black
students are more likely to take advanced math courses in high school net of background
characteristics compared to white students. The likelihood of black students taking
advanced math courses increases as the percent minority within the school increases.
However, black students receive lower returns on advanced level math course taking
compared to white students, especially in schools with higher percentages of minority
populations.
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