Journal Article

School Choice in Suburbia:Test Scores, Race, and Housing Markets

Murphy, Drew, Smith, Russell, Snow, Michael, Zannoni, Diane, Harrelson, Jeffrey, Maloney, Laura, Dougherty, Jack

2009

Overview

Home buyers exercise school choice when shopping for a private residence due to its location in a public school district or attendance area. In this quantitative study of one Connecticut suburban district, we measure the effect of elementary school test scores and racial composition on home buyers’ willingness to purchase single‐family homes over a 10‐year period, controlling for house and neighborhood characteristics. Overall, while both test scores and race explain home prices, we found that the influence of tests declined while race became nearly seven times more influential over our decade‐long period of study. Our interpretation of the results draws on the shifting context of school accountability, the Internet, and racial dynamics in this suburb over time.

• Publisher: The University of Chicago Press,University of Chicago Press,University of Chicago, acting through its Press
• Subject: Academic Achievement / Access to Information / Accountability / Achievement tests / Buyers / Connecticut / Decision Making / Elementary Schools / Geographic Location / Home financing / Homes / Housing / Housing market / Internet / Minority Groups / Neighborhood characteristics / Neighborhood Schools / Neighborhoods / Place of Residence / Prices / Public Schools / Quantitative analysis / Race / Racial Composition / Racial Factors / Residential preferences / School attendance / School Choice / School Districts / Scores / Shopping / Standard deviation / Student Evaluation / Suburban areas / Suburban Schools / Suburbs / Test scores / Tests / Trend Analysis