Wake County, N.C., district leaders postponed a decision last week on whether to change a high-profile student-assignment policy that aims to minimize the concentration of poor children in any one school.
School board members said they needed more time to debate whether to increase the limit on low-income students at each school to 50 percent from 40 percent. (“Wake County, N.C., May Raise Cap on Poor Students,” Oct. 10, 2007.)
Since 2000, the 134,000-student district, has used family income to make some student assignments. District leaders have argued that the policy promotes demographic diversity and improves achievement across all schools.
For more stories on this topic see Diversity.