Target Demographics

In Seattle, the student-assignment policy seeks to keep the racial and ethnic makeup of high schools within the range of district averages.

Seattle

“Diversity is a hallmark of Seattle Schools,” states the latest annual report of Ballard High School.

And indeed, the hallways and classrooms of the 1,680-student school here reflect a wide spectrum of race and ethnicity. Though 62 percent of students are white, the other 38 percent is a mix of Asians and Asian-Americans, blacks, and Hispanics, including recent immigrants from China, Africa, and Latin America.

And diversity is on people’s minds here, with cultural understanding and minority achievement emphasized by student groups, school programs,...