Date Approved

2019

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department or School

Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology

Committee Member

Brian Sellers, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kimberly Barrett, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Grigoris Argeros, Ph.D.

Abstract

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that schools that are separate are inherently unequal and that the desegregation of schools should take effect with “all deliberate speed.” Decades later, there are still schools whose student bodies are comprised of over 90% minority students. The following study aimed to understand the relationship between minority segregated schools and their graduation rates, as well as the relationship between student poverty rates and the racial composition of schools and the resulting effect these variables have on school funding. Using data collected from the Michigan School database, this study examined the 545 local educational agencies in Michigan for the 2015-2016 school year using multivariate analyses. Results of the analyses revealed a significant negative relationship between percent minority student and student poverty rate on graduation rate. The student poverty rate was also negatively correlated with both total school funding and capital projects funding. However, percentage minority student had a significant positive relationship with both types of funding. Future research should attempt to understand what other factors are contributing to the lower graduation rates observed in minority segregated schools, as funding does not appear to be the underlying factor.

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