ELITE CPS HIGH SCHOOLS NEED TO RECONSIDER RACE AS FACTOR
It’s time for the Chicago Public Schools to consider re-introducing race as a factor when picking freshmen for its elite selective enrollment high schools.
CPS in 2010 dropped race as one admissions factor for these test-based schools, insisting it wasn’t legally permissible in light of a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision. A review of the legal landscape, however, suggests a second look is way overdue.
Over the last four years, Chicago has seen what a non-racial policy produces — reduced access for African-American students to the city’s very best schools and greater racial isolation in a city already suffering greatly from that affliction.
The city’s selective and magnet schools are among CPS’ only islands of racial and socioeconomic integration. Chicago can’t afford to backtrack.
Since 2010, the percentage of white students at Chicago’s top four schools (tops in the state as well) has grown, according to data analyzed by the Sun-Times in April that was the subject of a City Council hearing last week.
The percentage of white students rose at Payton, Jones, Whitney Young and Northside college preps between 2009 — the last year race was used as one factor in admissions — and 2013. It was most dramatic at Payton, the state’s top scorer, jumping from 29 to 45 percent. At Northside, the percentage of whites jumped from 37 to 48 percent in 2010 but then dropped to 37 percent last year. Black student numbers dropped at all the schools except Northside.
Prior to 2009, no more than 35 percent of seats could go to white students, per a 1980 federal court order to desegregate the schools that ended in 2009. CPS’ total white population is 9 percent, the same as in 2009.
CPS in 2010 overhauled its admissions formula, replacing race as one factor with several socioeconomic ones, including median family income and the percentage of single-parent families in the census tracks where students lived. This was meant to preserve diversity — which it has, it’s important to note, though not as well as the previous formula — and serve as a proxy for race.
But at the time, and since then, many have argued, including the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, that using race doesn’t conflict with the 2007 Supreme Court decision.
Specifically, a 2012 guidance put out by those federal departments addressed selective enrollment schools. It said districts could “give special consideration to students from neighborhoods selected specifically because of their racial composition.” In other words, CPS can give more weight to students from black neighborhoods.
Until now CPS has refused to use race at all officially, but last week said they were reviewing the legal landscape and are open to new ideas, though their legal interpretation of the allowable uses of race still appears exceptionally narrow. A major overhaul is in order here — and CPS expects to report back to aldermen this fall. One idea CPS appears poised to reject, which it should, is increasing the seats admitted as “principal picks.” That’s a clout disaster waiting to happen.
CPS also says it’s at work trying to improve South and West Side recruitment to the top schools and
CPS replaced race as one factor with several socioeconomic ones, including median family income and the percentage of single-parent families in the census tracks.
to improve elementary schools to give students a better shot at these top high schools. Black students often lack the same access as do white students to quality elementary schools and oftentimes have less awareness of these top schools and what it takes to get in. CPS is also pushing to get all students, including whites, to consider all 10 of the city’s selective schools, most of which aren’t racially diverse, so that every school could benefit from a diverse student population.
A final note: During the time when white enrollment has grown at these top schools, the total black student population dropped from 45 percent to 40 and Hispanic enrollment surged from 42 to 45 percent. Hispanic enrollment is up at these top four schools, except Payton. Also, total minority representation at all 10 schools is up slightly from 2008, from 76 to 79 percent.