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The Impact of Increased Exposure of Diversity on Suburban Students' Outcomes: An Analysis of the METCO Voluntary Desegregation Program. Discussion Paper #2025.03

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Title: The Impact of Increased Exposure of Diversity on Suburban Students' Outcomes: An Analysis of the METCO Voluntary Desegregation Program. Discussion Paper #2025.03
Language: English
Authors: Elizabeth Setren, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Blueprint Labs, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Source: Blueprint Labs. 2025.
Availability: Blueprint Labs. 30 Wadsworth Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. e-mail: contact@mitblueprintlabs.org; Web site: https://blueprintlabs.mit.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 50
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Boston Foundation
Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Spencer Foundation
Russell Sage Foundation
Contract Number: R305A200060
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Suburban Schools, Student Attitudes, Diversity, Elementary Secondary Education, Busing, School Desegregation, Program Effectiveness, Urban Schools, Consciousness Raising, Academic Achievement, Student Behavior, Attendance, Suspension, Tests, Scores, Student Characteristics, Minority Group Students, White Students, Low Income Students, Students with Disabilities, English Learners, Immigrants, Parent Background, Educational Attainment
Geographic Terms: Massachusetts (Boston), Massachusetts
Abstract: Over sixty years following Brown vs. Board of Education, racial and socioeconomic segregation and lack of equal access to educational opportunities persist. Across the country, voluntary desegregation busing programs aim to ameliorate these imbalances and disparities. A longstanding Massachusetts program, METCO, buses K-12 students of color from Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts to 37 suburban districts that voluntarily enroll urban students. Supporters of the program argue that it prepares students to be active citizens in our multicultural society. Opponents question the value of the program and worry it may have a negative impact on suburban student outcomes. I estimate the causal effect of exposure to diversity through the METCO program by using two types of variation: difference-in-difference analysis of schools stopping and starting their METCO enrollment and two-stage least squares analysis of space availability for METCO students. Both methods rule out substantial test score, attendance, or suspension effects of having METCO peers. Classroom ability distribution and classroom suspension rates remain similar when METCO programs start and stop. There is no negative impact on college preparation, competitiveness, persistence, or graduation.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2025
Access URL: https://blueprintcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Blueprint-Discussion-Paper-2025.03-Setren.pdf
Accession Number: ED674494
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: The Impact of Increased Exposure of Diversity on Suburban Students' Outcomes: An Analysis of the METCO Voluntary Desegregation Program. Discussion Paper #2025.03
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+Setren%22">Elizabeth Setren</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Massachusetts+Institute+of+Technology+%28MIT%29%2C+Blueprint+Labs%22">Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Blueprint Labs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Bureau+of+Economic+Research+%28NBER%29%22">National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)</searchLink>
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  Data: Blueprint Labs. 30 Wadsworth Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. e-mail: contact@mitblueprintlabs.org; Web site: https://blueprintlabs.mit.edu/
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  Data: 50
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  Data: 2025
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  Label: Sponsoring Agency
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  Data: Boston Foundation<br />Institute of Education Sciences (ED)<br />Spencer Foundation<br />Russell Sage Foundation
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  Data: R305A200060
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Suburban+Schools%22">Suburban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diversity%22">Diversity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Busing%22">Busing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Desegregation%22">School Desegregation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Consciousness+Raising%22">Consciousness Raising</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Behavior%22">Student Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attendance%22">Attendance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Suspension%22">Suspension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tests%22">Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Minority+Group+Students%22">Minority Group Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22White+Students%22">White Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+Learners%22">English Learners</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Immigrants%22">Immigrants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Background%22">Parent Background</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Attainment%22">Educational Attainment</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Massachusetts+%28Boston%29%22">Massachusetts (Boston)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Massachusetts%22">Massachusetts</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Over sixty years following Brown vs. Board of Education, racial and socioeconomic segregation and lack of equal access to educational opportunities persist. Across the country, voluntary desegregation busing programs aim to ameliorate these imbalances and disparities. A longstanding Massachusetts program, METCO, buses K-12 students of color from Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts to 37 suburban districts that voluntarily enroll urban students. Supporters of the program argue that it prepares students to be active citizens in our multicultural society. Opponents question the value of the program and worry it may have a negative impact on suburban student outcomes. I estimate the causal effect of exposure to diversity through the METCO program by using two types of variation: difference-in-difference analysis of schools stopping and starting their METCO enrollment and two-stage least squares analysis of space availability for METCO students. Both methods rule out substantial test score, attendance, or suspension effects of having METCO peers. Classroom ability distribution and classroom suspension rates remain similar when METCO programs start and stop. There is no negative impact on college preparation, competitiveness, persistence, or graduation.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: Yes
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: ED674494
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 50
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Suburban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Diversity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Busing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Desegregation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Consciousness Raising
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attendance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Suspension
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scores
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Minority Group Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: White Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
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      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
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      – SubjectFull: English Learners
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      – SubjectFull: Immigrants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Background
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Massachusetts (Boston)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Massachusetts
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: The Impact of Increased Exposure of Diversity on Suburban Students' Outcomes: An Analysis of the METCO Voluntary Desegregation Program. Discussion Paper #2025.03
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