Metro and Regional Inequalities

Research in this section focuses attention on the structure of economic and social opportunities created by the intersection of metropolitan and regional housing, education, transportation, growth, workforce and other policies, all within a context of often dramatic demographic changes.

Private Schools in American Education: A Small Sector Still Lagging in Diversity

This is one of 4 working papers presented on March 5, 2018 in a briefing on Capitol Hill, "Bringing Civil Rights Research to Bear on Voucher Programs: Are the Promises Realized?" This report explores how the size and share of private education has changed in the U.S. over two decades, from 1995 to 2015-16 (the most recent federal data), along with how the students are divided among different kinds of private schools: secular, Catholic, and non-Catholic religious schools. It also examines the racial composition of these schools, providing key data for evaluating the civil rights dimension of private schooling and voucher policies.

Private School Vouchers: Legal Challenges and Civil Rights Protections

This is 1 of 4 working papers presented on March 5, 2018 at a briefing on Capitol Hill, "Bringing Civil Rights Research to Bear on Voucher Programs: Are the Promises Realized?" In this report, the authors detail the evolution of voucher policies, from their roots in the Jim Crow Era to their modern-day applications, including the rise of “neovoucher” programs; the past legal challenges to vouchers; factors that may influence the legal justifications of vouchers, including the quality of education for students of color in voucher programs; key policy issues that arise from this shift toward greater public funding of private schools; and conclude with a set of recommendations focused on civil rights protections.

Realizing the Economic Advantages of a Multilingual Workforce

As markets have transitioned from agricultural to industrial to what is now the information age, there are tremendous opportunities for those who can analyze, collaborate, and communicate with people all over the world while providing services in the local language of the client. These workers can compete for work in their home markets and in markets where their language fluency puts them at an advantage over those with only monolingual skills—like many in the American workforce.

Fulfilling America’s Future: Latinas in the U.S., 2015

At 54 million, Hispanics now make up the largest ethnic minority in the country. Currently, Hispanic girls and women are one in five women in the U.S. and will comprise nearly one third of the country’s female population by 2060. Ensuring they are positioned for success is a fundamental responsibility and an important economic opportunity for the country.

New York State’s Extreme School Segregation: Inequality, Inaction and a Damaged Future

New York has the most segregated schools in the country: in 2009, black and Latino students in the state had the highest concentration in intensely-segregated public schools (less than 10% white enrollment), the lowest exposure to white students, and the most uneven distribution with white students across schools. Heavily impacting these state rankings is New York City, home to the largest and one of the most segregated public school systems in the nation.

The Resegregation of Suburban Schools: A Hidden Crisis in American Education

Erica Frankenberg is an assistant professor in the department of education policy studies in the College of Education at the Pennsylvania State University. Gary Orfield is a professor of education, law, political science and urban planning, and codirector of the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The LASANTI Project Description

CRP's LASANTI Project explores many dimensions of social and economic change and inequality across the huge bi-national urbanized complex, stretching from the northern Los Angeles suburbs down through San Diego to the Tijuana metropolitan area.