A multidimensional approach to understanding neighborhood schools and their potential impact

Many districts are considering revamping the systems determining which schools students attend. These discussions are, inherently, about the fate of the neighborhood school. But this term has never been well defined. We develop a three-dimensional, theoretically, and empirically grounded definition of a neighborhood school. The authors' two case studies demonstrate that these dimensions are independent and differentially related to academic achievement. The results suggest that youth in the authors' samples have higher academic performance when they attend school with both the majority of youth in their neighborhoods and with students from other neighborhoods. Therefore, districts interested in promoting achievement gains and promoting within-school diversity may consider a policy in which all the youth from a number of neighborhoods are placed in a single school.