School Choice - Enrollment Systems in Large U.S. Cities - Implications for Integration and Equitable Access

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

Many cities have adopted unified enrollment (UE) systems that centralize school choice application and assignment. The study investigates whether UE adoption influences integration or access, using Callaway and Sant’Anna difference-in-differences models to assess changes in systemwide racial and ethnic segregation. It also applies comparative interrupted time series models to test enrollment shifts in schools disproportionately White before UE. Results show limited immediate effects but incremental reductions in segregation and increases in nonwhite enrollment over time.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages60

Reading Time2 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Unified enrollment systems and centralized assignment

Equity research on UE implications

School Choice Enrollment Systems in Large U.S . Cities: Implications for Integration and Equitable Access Jon Valant, Brookings Institution Jane Arnold Lincove, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Nicolas Zerbino, Brookings Institution Technical Report Published December 2025 UNIFIED ENROLLMENT SYSTEMS IN SCHOOL CHOICE School Choice Enrollment Systems in Large U.S. Cities: Implications for Integration and Equitable Access Jon Valant 1, Jane Arnold Lincove2, and Nicolas Zerbino 1 1 Governance Studies, Brookings Institution 2 School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Author Note Jon Valant: [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6478-8181](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6478-8181) Jane Arnold Lincove: [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6656-8537](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6656-8537) Nicolas Zerbino: [https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3217-6531](https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3217-6531) Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jon Valant, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Email: [jvalant@brookings.edu](jvalant@brookings.edu) [Funding](Funding: The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences)[: The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences](Funding: The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences), U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305C180025 to The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund. Institutional support provided by the Brookings Institution and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S. Department of Education. Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful for research assistance from Logan Booker, Annabelle Kim, Analisa Pines, and Brock Schultz. They also benefited from helpful feedback from members of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice, including Douglas Harris and Jamie Carroll. Running Head: UNIFIED ENROLLMENT SYSTEMS 1 Abstract Many cities have adopted unified enrollment (UE) systems that centralize the school choice application and assignment process. We examine the proliferation of these systems in large U.S. cities, focusing on whether adopting UE affects integration or access. We use Callaway and Sant’Anna difference-in-differences (CSDID) models to test ifUE implementation changes systemwide racial and ethnic segregation levels. We then use comparative interrupted time series (CITS) models to test ifUE changes enrollment patterns in schools that were disproportionately White before UE. We find little evidence of immediate effects. However, over time, we see incremental reductions in segregation and increases in nonwhite enrollment in schools where these students had been underrepresented. We discuss these findings alongside descriptions of notable UE policies. Keywords: School choice, unified enrollment, common enrollment, segregation, charter schools Running Head: UNIFIED ENROLLMENT SYSTEMS 2 Introduction School choice reforms—and the policies and programs that accompany them—have remade the urban education landscape in the United States. The traditional model of assigning students to schools based solely on where they live, leaving school choice to housing decisions and private school enrollment, no longer describes most large American cities’ education systems. Instead, today’s systems typically allow, encourage, or, in some cases, require families to choose from an assortment of publicly funded options. Debates about the merits of school choice reforms seem as old and plentiful as thereforms themselves. Advocates argue that these reforms promote efficiency by subjecting schools to market pressure and promote equity (and liberty) by giving families more options. Critics counter that the market metaphor does not fit the education context and tha

FAQs

What is the document’s main research question about unified enrollment systems?

It examines whether adopting unified enrollment systems affects integration or equitable access in large U.S. cities.

Which statistical methods are used to evaluate effects of UE implementation?

The study uses Callaway and Sant’Anna difference-in-differences models and comparative interrupted time series models to test segregation and enrollment pattern changes.

What overall findings does the study report regarding segregation and enrollment over time?

The study finds little evidence of immediate effects, but over time it observes incremental reductions in segregation and increases in nonwhite enrollment in previously underrepresented schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang