Market “choices” or structured pathways? How specialized arts education contributes to the reproduction of inequality

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Located in one of the most diverse cities, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) offers Specialty Arts Programs (SAPs) known for providing exceptional arts training. Despite commitments to equal access, the student populations in these programs do not reflect the broader system and instead draw mostly affluent students with high social and cultural capital. Using TDSB Parent and Student Census and School Information Systems, the study shows demographic homogeneity and tests whether it stems from program effects or an earlier de facto streaming process through feeder-school relationships. Findings indicate most SAP students come from a limited set of elementary schools with similar demographics, while SAP students report strong belonging compared to the wider system, raising questions about how selective homogenous spaces reproduce structural inequality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

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Special Issue: School Diversification and Dilemmas across Canada

Market “choices” or structured pathways? How specialized arts education contributes to the reproduction of inequality

Abstract

Keywords

SPECIAL ISSUE School Diversification and Dilemmas across Canada in an Era of Education Marketization and Neoliberalization education policy analysis archives A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal Arizona State University | Volume 25 Number 41 | April 24, 2017 | ISSN 1068-2341 | | --- | --- | --- | Market “Choices” or Structured Pathways? How Specialized Arts Education Contributes to the Reproduction of Inequality Rubén Gaztambide-Fernández & Gillian Parekh Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Canada Citation: Gaztambide-Fernández, R., & Parekh, G. (2017) . Market “choices” or structured pathways? How specialized arts education contributes to the reproduction of inequality. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25(41). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.2716](http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.2716) This article is part of the Special Issue on School Diversification and Dilemmas Across Canada, guest edited by Ee-Seul Yoon & Christopher Lubienski. Abstract: Located in one of the most diverse cities in the world, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) offers several programs catering to a variety of student interests. Specialty Arts Programs (SAPs) have gained particular attention in part because of their reputation as excellent schools providing a unique opportunity for training in the arts. However, recently such programs have also raised concerns about who can access and who ultimately benefits from specialized programming in the arts. While the TDSB is committed to equal access for all families, the student populations at these programs do not mirror the broader school population, serving mostly affluent families and students with access to high levels of social and cultural capital. Employing data from the TDSB’s Parent and Student Census and the School Information Systems, the article first demonstrates the demographic homogeneity of specialized arts programs and then examines whether this homogeneity is a particular outcome of specialized arts programs or a manifestation of a de facto streaming mechanism that begins earlier in the schooling process. To do this, the authors explore the relationship between feeder schools and programs that guide students towards SAPs. Results demonstrate that the bulk of SAP students are drawn from a select few elementary schools across the board. Largely, the demographics of elementary feeder schools reflect similar characteristics of the SAP population and this relationship is amplified as the number of students drawn from feeder schools increases. In addition, students in SAPs experience a high level of belonging in school as compared to students across the system. While this outcome is often attributed to the immersion in arts-based curriculum, the authors query how the role of creating homogenous spaces through selective programming contributes to students’ experience of belonging while at the same time reproducing structural inequality. Keywords: arts education; school choice; structural inequality; Toronto District School Board; belonging “Opciones” de mercado o caminos estructurados? Cómo la educación especializada en las artes contribuye a la reproducción de la desigualdad Resumen: Ubicada en una de las ciudades más diversas del mundo, la Junta Escolar del Distractode Toronto (JEDT) ofrece una variedad de programas para servir los diferentes intereses de sus estudiantes. Los Programas Especializados en las Artes (PEA) han ganado popularidad en parte por su reputación como excelentes escuelas que proveen oportunidades únicas para el entrenamiento de estudiantes en las artes. Aun así, recientemente han surgido críticas sobre cuales estudiantes logranacceso a estos programas y se benefician de la especialización y recursos que brindan. Aunque la JEDT está comprometida a ofrecer igual acceso a todas las familias, los estudiantes en estos programas no representan la diversidad de la población esco

FAQs

Why do concerns arise about Specialty Arts Programs (SAPs) in the Toronto District School Board?

Although SAPs are promoted as excellent arts schools and the TDSB claims equal access, the programs have been criticized because access and benefits are not evenly distributed. Students in SAPs do not mirror the broader school population and are mostly drawn from families with higher social and cultural capital.

What data does the article use to analyze SAP demographics?

The authors use data from the TDSB Parent and Student Census and the School Information Systems to examine demographic patterns and feeder-school relationships.

What do the results show about where SAP students come from and how this relates to inequality?

The results show that most SAP students are drawn from a small number of elementary feeder schools whose demographics resemble the SAP population. This relationship strengthens as more students transfer from feeder schools to SAPs, indicating a de facto streaming mechanism that can reproduce structural inequality.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag