Date: June 1, 2019
Author(s): Esteban Doyle
Abstract
This research project examines the impact of transportation on educational access. I examine the role that transportation plays in educational access, and how improving transportation can help to increase the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic diversity of private secondary schools in Los Angeles. To answer this research question, I use my client, the Geffen Academy, as a case study. The Geffen Academy is a private middle and high school located in Westwood, on the Westside of Los Angeles. The school has an affiliation with the University of California, Los Angeles. I use student data from the Geffen Academy to assess the demographic profile of enrolled students, and compare the spatial distribution of students to existing transportation infrastructure. I conduct a travel survey of students to understand travel behavior to school. Finally, I research peer schools to gain insights on how other schools approach transportation as it relates to student body diversity. From this research I find that a majority of enrolled students live within a few miles of the Geffen Academy, an area that is predominately white and higher-income. To increase access to the Geffen Academy, the school should focus on developing a carpool program to reduce the travel costs for families who live further away from the school’s campus.
About the Project
This research project examines the impact of transportation on educational access, and how improving transportation can help to increase the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic diversity of private secondary schools in Los Angeles. The Geffen Academy is a private middle and high school located in Westwood, on the Westside of Los Angeles. I use student data from the Geffen Academy to assess the demographic profile of enrolled students, and compare the spatial distribution of students to existing transportation infrastructure. I conduct a travel survey of students to understand travel behavior to school. Finally, I research peer schools to gain insights on how other schools approach transportation as it relates to student body diversity. I find that a majority of enrolled students live within a few miles of the Geffen Academy, an area that is predominately white and higher-income. To increase access to the Geffen Academy, the school should focus on developing a carpool program to reduce the travel costs for families who live further away from the school’s campus.