Research project Admission Impossible? School Choice in European Cities

The first project is a qualitative inter- and intra-national study of the local politics and policy of school choice design in fourteen cities (Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger, Trondheim, Malmö, Gothenburg, Odense, Aarhus, Cologne, Munich, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Brighton, Manchester) in six Western European countries. The second project uses a mixed-method approach to examine Norwegian parent's preferences for school choice, and perceptions of how effective their local/regional governments are in providing them with appropriate choice, through a survey, in-depth interviews, and focus groups with parents from different socio-economic backgrounds.

The third project is a quantitative study, which aims to examine the causal effects of school choice in Norway at the upper-secondary school level on: 1) academic achievements, 2) ethnic segregation, and 3) segregation based on socioeconomic background in Norway. The special feature of the project is that we combine a qualitative comparative city governance approach to school choice with an investigation on policy effects and econometric methodology of policy evaluation. This will provide us an original way of assessing how various school choice designs promote diversity and equity at the local level and inform decision making in cities, which are introducing or reforming choice designs and showcase innovative practices that can support them.