Diversity Section Index of Dissimilarity

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Diversity: Index of Dissimilarity Indicator

DuPage County’s Hispanic population is not as integrated with the general population as are other minority groups.

ABOUT THE INDICATOR

This indicator attempts to measure the level to which various racial and ethnic groups are residentially integrated with other groups, which is a factor that should be part of any discussion of diversity issues. The dissimilarity index was adapted by researchers for this purpose and is usually calculated at the census tract level. However, we have calculated it at the elementary school level as an approximation of residential integration.

The index measures how similar the race/ethnic mix is at all the elementary schools in DuPage County and can range from “0” to “100.” A value of “0” would mean that the two groups evaluated (for example, white with black) are evenly distributed in all schools and, therefore, fully integrated. A value of “100” would mean the opposite. A value of “50” means that 50 percent of the children from the two groups compared would need to attend different schools in order for the groups to be equally distributed.

OBSERVATIONS

Encouragingly, these data suggest that within DuPage County there is a high level of integration among black and white students. Integration among Hispanic students and other racial or ethnic groups, however, appears to be much lower. To achieve an equal level of integration between Hispanic and Asian children, or Hispanic and white children, more than half of the students would need to attend a different school.

TAPESTRY

In a large county like DuPage, which is made up of many distinct and sometimes geographically distant municipalities, different racial or ethnic groups may be concentrated in different parts of the county. Consequently, there may be limits in terms of how much diversity in schools can be achieved. Still, diversity in our neighborhoods and schools should be encouraged as it can have many positive influences. According to Housing and Urban Development (HUD), segregated schools result in different levels of achievement, making it more difficult to achieve integration in other aspects of society.

In addition, increased diversity can:

Enrich the educational experience
Promote personal growth and a healthy society
Strengthen communities and the workplace
Enhance America’s economic competitiveness

HOW TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE

Healthy DuPage (630)690-2998
U.S. Census (301)763-4748
Study Circles (860)928-3713