Study Touts Economic Integration In Md. Schools | Schools

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) ? A new study shows low-income students in Montgomery County perform better when they attend affluent schools instead of schools with high poverty.

The study released Friday by the Century Foundation suggests economic integration is a powerful reform tool that's often neglected.

Current debate over school reform centers on teaching and accountability in struggling schools. But the study suggests mixed income levels in a school could be more effective.

The study tracked 858 students living in scattered public housing for seven years. Students sent to affluent schools performed significantly better in math and modestly better in reading than those at high poverty schools.

Experts say past school busing battles made policymakers fearful of promoting economic integration.