How do independent school admission rules affect school segregation? : An agent-based model in a Swedish context

Abstract: School segregation has previously been found to be a product of residential segregation, student/parental preferences and school allocation methods. In Sweden, rules regarding school allocation methods prevent both public and independent schools from sorting students by socioeconomic background, ability or ethnicity. The allowed allocation methods might however, result in segregation, for instance by socioeconomic background, as an unintended consequence. For independent schools, the most common allocation method criteria are queue-time of students in the schools queue. For public schools, the proximity of students to the school is used as an allocation method. The present study sought to investigate effects of different school allocation methods on school segregation. More specifically, this thesis explores how allocation methods interact with residential segregation and household preferences in relation to school segregation. This was explored using an agent-based simulation of a city populated by households deciding which schools to apply their children to. The model created and used for this purpose was a data-driven model that investigates how school segregation changes as a result of varying allocation methods, residential segregation, and household preferences. The model was defined using empirical data from the municipality of Stockholm and models the city with respect to composition, distribution and education of immigrant and non-immigrant residents. The model found that school prioritization rules had a minimal effect on school segregation, about 1% increase or decrease in school segregation depending on the allocation strategy. Moreover, it was found that residential segregation and overall school capacity had minor interactions with any school prioritization rule and that they on their own significantly impacted segregation. School segregation closely followed residential segregation, and increasing capacity of all schools significantly increased segregation. These findings indicate that the school prioritization rules currently in use by Swedish independent schools have a minor effect on school segregation compared to the impact of residential segregation.