School integration programs benefit urban and suburban students, says report
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| Luis Maldonado, of Hartford, attends Simsbury High School through the Project Choice program. |
More likely to graduate from college…more likely to become civically engaged…more likely to feel comfortable working in diverse settings.
Sounds like excerpts from a high school yearbook. In fact, they are the types of traits expected in high school graduates – both urban and suburban – who participate in a school integration program called Project Choice. These results are based on national studies (including some research in Hartford) and are outlined in a recent report by the Sheff Movement Coalition that was funded by a grant from the Harford Foundation. The report also explores issues preventing the Project Choice program from operating at its full potential, and recommends ways to improve and expand the program.
Project Choice, which allows Hartford students to attend neighboring suburban schools in participating districts, is part of a two-way voluntary integration program that was developed in response to the Sheff v. O’Neill school decision of 1996, which mandated specific steps to desegregate the public school system in Greater Hartford. Project Choice actually began long before that – 41 years ago (then called Project Concern) – and was one of the first interdistrict school integration programs in the country.
Twenty percent of young people under the age of 18 in our region live in Hartford. That means one out of five members of our future workforce is being educated in the Capitol City.
For Luis Maldonado of Hartford, though, Project Choice simply means a stronger foundation for his future. He has attended Simsbury public schools since first grade, as have his younger brother and sister.
“I’m more of a hands-on person,” said Luis, now a senior in high school. “I get the attention I need in the smaller-sized classes in Simsbury. The courses I’m taking now will help me get into college and pursue a career in forensic science.”
Luis’ mom, Carmen, says, “I wanted my kids to go to a school where they wouldn’t fall through the cracks, and where all parents are involved.”
Twenty percent of young people under the age of 18 in our region live in Hartford. That means one out of five members of our future workforce is being educated in the Capitol City. Of the 24,000 Hartford students, little more than 1,000 participate in Project Choice. But the impact on those students is profound.
They perform at or above proficiency on standardized tests in greater numbers than their Hartford Public School peers and, in a new pilot kindergarten program, exhibited large gains in language acquisition in the earlier grades. In the suburban schools, Project Choice students often represent a significant percentage of Black and Latino students enrolled.
“Simsbury is not a very diverse community,” said Neil Sullivan, principal of Simsbury High School. “By partnering with Project Choice, we are able to bring diversity to our community.”
In spite of the benefits of Project Choice, the program has fallen short of the desegregation goals set forth by the Sheff v. O’Neill settlement agreement. According to the report, the generally slow growth and low suburban participation rates in Hartford’s program stand in stark contrast to similar programs in Boston, Minneapolis and St. Louis. In particular, the much higher rates of voluntary suburban participation in Boston’s METCO program suggest that local districts in the Hartford area could be opening their doors to more Hartford children.
To improve and expand the program, the report outlines several concrete recommendations, which include more support and funding from the State. The program lacks a central champion and the report concludes that the State should play this role.
“Project Choice is the most direct way to give Hartford children access to more integrated schools,” said Nessa Oram, Project Choice director. “It is the perfect complement to our excellent regional magnet school system. In the magnet schools, suburban children come in to attend school with Hartford students, and in the Choice program, our children are able travel out to 27 different suburban school districts.”
To view the report, visit www.hfpg.org/publications. |
