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Master's Thesis: Educational Tracking and Shelby County's Optional Schools

Lampner, Mackenzie
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Lampner, Mackenzie
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Educational equalization—Tennessee—Shelby County, Ability grouping in education—Tennessee—Shelby County, Discrimination in education—Tennessee—Shelby County, African American students—Education—Tennessee—Shelby County, School choice—Social aspects—Tennessee—Shelby County
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Mackenzie Lampner Final Draft.pdf
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https://hdl.handle.net/10267/36833
Abstract
This thesis critically examines the Shelby County Schools' optional program in Memphis, Tennessee, arguing that it reinforces racial and socioeconomic inequities through selective admissions criteria and educational tracking. Using a comparative case study of two schools: Idlewild Elementary and Cummings K-8. The study reveals how optional programs disproportionately benefit White and affluent students while marginalizing Black and low-income students. Drawing on theories from Jean Anyon and Beth Hatt, the author demonstrates how concepts of "smartness" and giftedness are socially constructed and aligned with Whiteness and middle-class norms. The research highlights disparities in discipline, teacher absenteeism, and access to rigorous curricula, showing how these factors contribute to systemic educational debt and the school-to-prison pipeline. The thesis concludes by advocating for the abolition of the optional program and a reinvestment in equitable, high-quality education for all students in Shelby County.
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