Race and the Reproduction of Educational Disadvantage

Abstract

Research has uncovered many mechanisms that exacerbate racial inequalities in achievement. Due to specialization within the field, however, little focus has been devoted to the multitiered and often interconnected institutional nature of these processes. Matching data from the restricted-use National Educational Longitudinal Survey and the Common Core of Data, I hierarchically model the influence of family/peer and educational institutional processes simultaneously on the black-white gap in achievement. The modeling strategy used offers a more comprehensive understanding of the reproductive interinstitutional dynamics at work, suggesting strong linkages between family/peer group attributes and access to educational resources. I conclude by suggesting the need to extend this line of inquiry a step further still, developing a theoretically driven contextual and spatial understanding of educational opportunity and achievement.