Defining (and Denying) Diversity Through Interdistrict Choice

Interdistrict choice programs are among the few policy mechanisms that work against segregation and inequality in the United States, but little research has examined these. This qualitative study examines one collaborative, analyzing how stakeholders' understandings of the program's purpose influence program decisions. It involves document review, observations, and interviews (n = 65). Our analysis suggests that different rationales for "diversity" are driving implementation today than those that undergirded its inception. A shift to "instrumental" rationales limits systemic orientations toward regional inequity by narrowly defining diversity and, ultimately, denying access to many students of Color who apply to cross district boundaries.