The report examines two communities in New York City's suburban Westchester County--Scarsdale and Port Chester--and the ways in which restrictive zoning impedes educational opportunities. The first part of this report examines how Scarsdale and Port Chester differ in their demographic makeups, home prices, and in the educational opportunities that…

This paper explores the movement of the New York City Interborough Association of Women Teachers (IAWT) for "equal pay for equal work" in teaching salaries, which it won in 1911. The IAWT's success sheds light on the possibilities and limits of women teachers advocating for change within a feminized profession. Leading the movement were…

An important topic in the study of segregation are comparisons across space and time. This article extends current approaches in segregation measurement by presenting a five-term decomposition procedure that can be used to understand more clearly why segregation has changed or differs between two comparison points. Two of the five terms account…

To succeed in creating a more equitable economy in New York City, policymakers will need to help boost economic outcomes for the nearly 300,000 working-age New Yorkers living in public housing. Although new investments in workforce training and education should be part of the solution, there is also an enormous untapped opportunity to make…

Preparing students for postsecondary life is among the most important roles that a high school plays. And yet, how schools approach this work, what schools should be preparing students for, and who should be responsible for this work have long been contested. Jeremy Greenfield draws on an emerging body of psychological literature exploring purpose…

Many policymakers agree that housing and land use reform is a top priority, particularly in New York State, in order to moderate housing prices. But an often-overlooked point is that such reform is also important in order to promote equal educational opportunity. This report proceeds in five parts. The first part takes a deep dive into how two…

In recent decades, communities across the globe have been transformed by the spread of technology to all corners of life. This transformation has extended to the world of work and has disrupted the skills that workers must develop to remain competitive. In a 2018 special report, "The New Foundational Skills of the Digital Economy: Developing…

Now more than ever school librarians need to be advocates. COVID brought to light so many things that are wrong with the education system around the country. According to the author, they learned that, although they talk about equity and access for their students, they are not even close to equity and access being a reality for all. As the…

"Am I My Brother's Keeper?" offers powerful insights into the challenges of implementing large-scale educational change. The book, chronicling the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI), a four-year study focused on improving the educational outcomes of fifteen thousand Black and Latinx males in New York City public high schools, covers what…

Multiple studies have shown the potential for school choice policies to benefit middle-class families, often to the detriment of lower income students in the same district. Yet, there is limited research examining the role of policies in promoting inequality by encouraging exclusionary behaviors. In this article, we utilize the concept of…

Mandatory choice programs, like the one currently in place in New York City, have created a situation in which many students commute to schools outside of the neighborhood they live in. While the intent is to provide expanded access, students often find themselves on public transportation commuting to schools they know very little about and where…

The Ruderman Family Foundation in partnership with the American Institute for Research (AIR) and the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) created two research briefs that inform the business community in Boston and several other top metropolitan areas about the challenges faced by workers with disabilities and the contributions that…

A college degree has been shown to decrease the income gap, but disadvantaged students are at a greater risk of dropping out of college. This study explores meaning-making of students in an educational opportunity program (EOP), the Search for Education Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) in the City University of New York system. It is important to…

Student-centered, active, and engaging learning experiences that build on young people's interests, while developing their skills and knowledge, are at the heart of high-quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs can provide older youth with opportunities to explore their interests and participate in activities that also allow them to earn…

In a prior study, MDRC researchers found that Small Schools of Choice, a SIG-approved high school reform initiative, markedly and consistently increased high school graduation rates in New York City when it was implemented in 100+ high schools between 2002 and 2008. A four-year follow-up study found that the initiative increased students'…