María G. Rendón, Ashley Hernandez, David R. Schaefer
{"title":"Social Reproduction at a Minority Serving Institution: STEM Capital Disparities among Children of Immigrants","authors":"María G. Rendón, Ashley Hernandez, David R. Schaefer","doi":"10.1177/00380407251352785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251352785","url":null,"abstract":"We examine exclusion and the persistence of STEM disparities for underrepresented minority (URM) students at one diverse college campus, a prestigious Minority Serving Institution (MSI). We draw on in-depth interviews with 28 class- and ethnoracially diverse children of immigrants to examine how they navigated their first year in biology. Our analysis reveals three types of students who differ in STEM capital: (1) STEM-thrivers, who inhabit a “bio-bubble”; (2) STEM-adapters, who straddle STEM-dominant and non-STEM-dominant peers; and (3) STEM-disconnected, who struggle in silence. We explain how this STEM capital typology is racially inflected, informed by both immigrant class origin and high school segregation. We call attention to social dynamics associated with STEM capital, the forms of exclusion encountered by URM students, and how universities, including MSIs, can reinforce STEM disparities that result in social reproduction.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"306 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144983292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Logics of Teaching: How Institutionalized Ideas about Teaching Shape Teachers’ Professional Identities","authors":"Maya Kaul","doi":"10.1177/00380407251359628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251359628","url":null,"abstract":"Teachers’ professional identities are the foundation of their practice. Previous scholarship has largely overlooked the extent to which the broader institutional environment shapes teachers’ professional identities. In this study, I bridge institutional logics with theory on teacher professional identity to empirically examine the deeply institutionalized, taken-for-granted ways U.S. society has come to think of teaching (e.g., as a moral calling, as a profession, as labor), which are internalized by PK–12 teachers. I draw on survey data from 950 teachers across four U.S. states (California, New York, Florida, and Texas) and develop an original survey measure to capture what I term teachers’“institutionalized conceptions of teaching.” Across diverse state policy contexts, I find that teachers’ conceptions of teaching are guided by three underlying logics: (1) an accountability logic, (2) a democratic logic, and (3) a moral calling logic. I then examine the relationship between institutional logics and teachers’ professional identities. I find that the taken-for-granted ways society frames teaching may be associated with dimensions of teachers’ professional identity, such as self-efficacy and professional commitment. The findings suggest that supporting the professional well-being of PK–12 teachers may require shifting the deeply institutionalized norms of the profession to be more aligned with teachers’ democratic aims—rather than maintaining our system’s deep norms around external accountability and view of teaching as a moral calling. The study offers methodological contributions to the study of logics and practical implications for the field of teaching.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144930321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"White Flight in Public Higher Education? Racial Avoidance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions","authors":"Laura T. Hamilton, Charlie Eaton, Simon Cheng","doi":"10.1177/00380407251352786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251352786","url":null,"abstract":"Latine college students in the United States face increasing isolation in universities designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). We contend that this pattern is not just a function of Latine selection into particular universities. Using enrollment data for public four-year undergraduate institutions from 1990 to 2019, we show that White student enrollment declines after universities cross the 25 percent Latine threshold and become designated as HSIs. Our layered model of college choice identifies multiple factors that activate White racial avoidance, pulling White students to Predominately White Institutions and pushing them away from HSIs. Controlling for local demographics in states and counties where HSIs are located, we estimate White student enrollments are 6 percent to 16 percent lower after HSI status. Student application and admission data for California and Texas four-year public universities illustrate that national patterns of White enrollment decline at HSI transition are likely driven by student and family preferences rather than organizational processes or seat constraints. Applications from White students are 12 percent lower after HSI status, yet admissions data, over which universities exert considerable control, show no change. Overall, our findings suggest White students respond to the high concentration of Latine students at HSIs with “white flight,” contributing to racial segregation in higher education.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Underemployed and Penalized: Education–Occupation Mismatch and Racial/Ethnic Inequality among Highly Educated Workers","authors":"Yao Lu, Xiaoguang Li, Christina Ciocca Eller","doi":"10.1177/00380407251356275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251356275","url":null,"abstract":"How does education–occupation mismatch shape racial/ethnic labor market inequality among highly educated workers? Bridging the literatures on racial/ethnic discrimination and labor market signaling, we propose a new concept, “racialized signaling,” to explain inequality in the college-to-work transition, operationalized through education–occupation mismatch. We then use longitudinal data to examine the labor market consequences of racialized signaling, analyzing vertical and horizontal dimensions of mismatch. We find that Black and Hispanic graduates experience the negative consequences of mismatch most strongly at the point of occupational allocation relative to their White peers, whereas Asian graduates experience the greatest negative consequences of mismatch regarding wage penalties. Advanced degrees, STEM degrees, and degrees from more selective institutions have some moderating effects, but they do not fully level the playing field for minority graduates. Overall, our findings suggest education–occupation mismatch is a powerful, although heterogeneous, mechanism reproducing racial/ethnic inequality among the most educated segment of the U.S. population.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144901703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When Money Matters Most: Unpacking the Effectiveness of School Spending","authors":"Emily Rauscher, Greer Mellon, Susanna Loeb, Carolyn Abott","doi":"10.1177/00380407251349165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251349165","url":null,"abstract":"Targeted school funding is a potentially valuable policy lever to increase educational equality by race, ethnicity, and income, but it remains unclear how to target funds most effectively. We use a regression discontinuity approach to compare districts that narrowly passed or failed a school funding election. We use close tax elections in nine states to identify effects of operating funds, and we use close bond elections in eight states to identify effects of capital funds. Results indicate positive achievement returns to spending, especially for math achievement. We find similar returns to spending by student race, ethnicity, and income (not statistically different), but we find significantly larger returns for students in low-spending and high-poverty districts than in more advantaged districts. Targeted spending to low-resource districts is more effective and can reduce inequality. Mediation analyses suggest spending on teacher salaries and counselors may be particularly effective mechanisms to increase achievement among Black and low-income students.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144594502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Great Leveler? Juvenile Arrest, College Attainment, and the Future of American Inequality","authors":"Garrett Baker, David S. Kirk, Robert J. Sampson","doi":"10.1177/00380407251338844","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251338844","url":null,"abstract":"A burgeoning literature suggests that criminal justice contact in adolescence hinders educational attainment, but prior research primarily considers short-term outcomes and relies on self-reported arrest information. In this article, we leverage Illinois administrative records over 25 years linked to a multicohort longitudinal study to provide estimates of whether an officially recorded juvenile arrest lingers beyond high school through college completion. We find that juvenile arrest is associated with a 20 to 30 percentage-point decrease in one’s likelihood of graduating from a four-year college. This association persists for college enrollees and is consistent across sociodemographic groups and birth cohorts. Given the unequal and prevalent nature of juvenile arrest, the association’s durability across time periods characterized by vast social-structural changes, and the potentially unique vulnerabilities of system-involved students on college campuses, our study offers new insights on how official legal entanglement prior to adulthood may contribute to inequality in the United States.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peter Hepburn, Danny Grubbs-Donovan, Nick Graetz, Olivia Jin, Matthew Desmond
{"title":"Consequences of Eviction-Led Forced Mobility for School-Age Children in Houston","authors":"Peter Hepburn, Danny Grubbs-Donovan, Nick Graetz, Olivia Jin, Matthew Desmond","doi":"10.1177/00380407251333651","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251333651","url":null,"abstract":"Eviction cases are concentrated among renter households with children, yet we know little about the repercussions of evictions for children’s educational trajectories. In this study, we link eviction records in Harris County, Texas, to educational records of students enrolled in the Houston Independent School District between 2002 and 2016. At least 13,000 public school students in Houston lived in households that were filed against for eviction. These students came from disadvantaged backgrounds, and nearly a quarter lived in households that were filed against repeatedly. Students whose parents were threatened with eviction were more likely than their peers to have left the district by the next academic year. Students who remained were more likely to have switched schools, often relocating to schools with fewer resources, more student turnover, and lower test scores. Eviction filings were associated with increases in absences and, among students who switched schools, more suspensions.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Labeling Power of Critical Race Theory: Evidence from a National Survey Experiment","authors":"Andrew Myers, Crista Urena Hernandez","doi":"10.1177/00380407251327971","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251327971","url":null,"abstract":"Discussions about educational content on race and racism have captured widespread public and political attention, with much of this debate falling under the umbrella of critical race theory (CRT). Despite this attention, we currently do not know whether it is the content in these lessons or the CRT label that is influencing opinion on this issue. Are critics of CRT reacting to the content that CRT encapsulates? Or does the phrase “CRT” trigger partisan beliefs that are unrelated or only weakly tied to the central claims CRT advances? We use original data from two experiments in national surveys (N = 1,983) to answer these questions. In the first experiment, respondents were randomly assigned to one of three vignette conditions that described a local high school board’s decision to ban a lesson by either (1) describing the content of the lesson, (2) labeling the lesson as CRT, or (3) both describing and labeling the lesson. In the second experiment, a subset of respondents was assigned to conditions where the school board approved the lesson rather than banning it. Results indicate that labeling a lesson as CRT leads to opposition—either agreeing with its ban or disagreeing with its approval—regardless of whether a description of the lesson is included. Subgroup analyses are suggestive of the idea that although baseline levels of support varied, this label impacts individuals across a wide array of sociodemographic and political groups.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"254 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143862896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Irena Pietrzyk, Melinda Erdmann, Juliana Schneider, Marita Jacob, Marcel Helbig
{"title":"Guidance Counseling Can Reduce Inequality in University Enrollment in Germany: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial","authors":"Irena Pietrzyk, Melinda Erdmann, Juliana Schneider, Marita Jacob, Marcel Helbig","doi":"10.1177/00380407251323888","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407251323888","url":null,"abstract":"Guidance counseling is well known to foster enrollment in higher education among students from low social origins in the United States and Canada. However, because students in these North American countries face obstacles that do not exist in many European countries, generalizing previous findings to the European context is difficult. Against this background, we use a randomized controlled trial to investigate guidance counseling in Germany. Our results reveal that individuals from low social origins are more likely to enroll in higher education due to the program. Furthermore, we find substantial effect heterogeneity across social origin groups. Due to the program, individuals from high social origins enroll less frequently in higher education and more frequently in vocational training. Based on these opposing effects across social origin groups, we find that the program reduces inequality in higher education enrollment by approximately 70 percent.","PeriodicalId":51398,"journal":{"name":"Sociology of Education","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143702789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}