
.. In light of the national discourse, it is important to critically assess the arguments both for and against school choice proposals, and the rigorous evidence behind them.
In a recent, randomized controlled trial study, we assessed a common critique of school choice—that when given the option, schools discriminate against students who are perceived as harder to educate, therefore restricting certain students to lower-quality schools and consequently exacerbating educational disparities.
To minimize the extent to which schools can cherry-pick top students, many school choice districts must use a lottery system or a common application to determine who is admitted. Despite these safeguards, schools can employ subtle practices to recruit the students they would prefer, for example by encouraging or discouraging applications from certain types of students.
Source: Who does the choosing under school choice?