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School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from the Oakland Unified School District. Working Paper 34957

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Title: School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from the Oakland Unified School District. Working Paper 34957
Language: English
Authors: Jesse Rothstein, Ini Umosen, Christopher R. Walters, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research. 2026.
Availability: National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Descriptors: School Choice, School Segregation, School Districts, Income, School Desegregation, Urban Schools, School District Size, Kindergarten, Public Schools, Decision Making, Low Income Students, Institutional Characteristics
Geographic Terms: California (Oakland)
Abstract: We study the prospects for changes in school priorities to reduce income segregation in a context of centralized school assignment, accounting for behavioral responses to school offers. Promoting integration is a central objective for large urban school districts in the US, and reforms to school assignment priorities are a prominent means of pursuing this goal. Such efforts may be constrained by students' decisions to exit the public school system in response to less-preferred school offers. Using data on kindergarten applicants to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), we show that offers of spots at first-choice schools boost the likelihood that applicants remain in OUSD. Nevertheless, simulations show that policy reforms giving priority for low-income students at high-income schools can substantially reduce segregation with minimal impacts on retention in the district.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Access URL: https://www.nber.org/papers/w34957
Accession Number: ED679679
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from the Oakland Unified School District. Working Paper 34957
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  Data: National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
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  Data: Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Choice%22">School Choice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Segregation%22">School Segregation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Income%22">Income</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Desegregation%22">School Desegregation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+District+Size%22">School District Size</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Characteristics%22">Institutional Characteristics</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22California+%28Oakland%29%22">California (Oakland)</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: We study the prospects for changes in school priorities to reduce income segregation in a context of centralized school assignment, accounting for behavioral responses to school offers. Promoting integration is a central objective for large urban school districts in the US, and reforms to school assignment priorities are a prominent means of pursuing this goal. Such efforts may be constrained by students' decisions to exit the public school system in response to less-preferred school offers. Using data on kindergarten applicants to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), we show that offers of spots at first-choice schools boost the likelihood that applicants remain in OUSD. Nevertheless, simulations show that policy reforms giving priority for low-income students at high-income schools can substantially reduce segregation with minimal impacts on retention in the district.
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: School Choice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Segregation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Income
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Desegregation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School District Size
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: California (Oakland)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from the Oakland Unified School District. Working Paper 34957
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              M: 03
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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