SOC 6450 - Neighborhoods, Schools and Education

Spring. 4 credits. Student option grading.

S. Alvarado.

This course will examine the literature on social context effects on educational outcomes in the United States. Specifically, students will learn how residential neighborhoods, schools, and peer networks independently affect educational outcomes as well as explore the connections between these spheres of influence. The class will provide an overview of the most robust findings on educational outcomes such as ability scores, school dropout, and college application and enrollment. Students will also apply the major lessons from the literature to their own empirical assessment of an educational outcome of their choice.