School closures are an increasingly common reform strategy for school districts facing declining enrollments, constricting budgets, and low academic performance. However, little empirical attention has addressed the effects of closures on student achievement. This study examines the impact of 27 school closures in Houston Independent School District between 2003 and 2010. Findings indicate HISD’s closures disproportionately displaced poor and black students. While students generally transferred to slightly more advantaged and academically higher-performing schools, few transferred to HISD’s highest-performing schools.
Evaluating the Impact of School Closures in Houston ISD, Part 1: The Effect of School Closures on Patterns of Student Attendance and Achievement
This report looks at the impact of 27 school closures in the Houston Independent School District between 2003 and 2010.
School Closures Tend to Displace Black, Poor Students With Few Positive Outcomes
An analysis of 27 school closures in Houston found that students were rarely transferred to the district's highest-performing schools.