ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on social class inequalities in educational experiences and outcomes among K-12 students. Beginning with a discussion of relevant sociological theories, it summarizes and synthesizes historical and contemporary research on socioeconomic stratification in schooling. The chapter then examines mechanisms and trends that sociologists have identified as integral to understanding the ways in which K-12 schooling has exacerbated social class inequalities rather than leveled them. This discussion is organized into sections that further explore each mechanism or trend, including segregation, cultural capital, the testing gap, and differential investment in education. Next, the chapter synthesizes sociological studies of social mobility, including how students from working-class backgrounds employ strategies to navigate upward mobility and how class inequalities in K-12 schooling contribute to disparities in access to higher education. Studies that have examined the intersection of social class with other social identities, such as race and gender, are also examined. Finally, the chapter concludes with a note on future research directions for the study of social class in K-12 education.
