Metropolitan Desegregation

Most of the findings in this book are based on the work of a team of researchers from Urban Affairs Programs at Michigan State University. From 1976 to 1981, the team observed the progress of school desegregation in metropolitan Wil mington, Delaware, which encompasses New Castle County. The project was made possible by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, Division of Social Sciences. Metropolitan desegregation is a strategy deserving of national attention because this country's black population has become increasingly concentrated within central cities. Desegregation solutions must be found that encompass America's white suburbs as well as its urban areas. In a 1977 statement, the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights called metro politan school desegregation "the last frontier to be crossed in the long judicial effort to make equal educational opportunity . . . a living reality. " Moreover, the National Task Force on Desegregation Strategies concluded in 1979, The simple demographic fact is that many large city school districts cannot desegregate by themselves. For children in such districts, the best hope for attending a desegregated school lies in the implementation of metropolitan desegregation strat egies--i. e. , desegregation plans which do not stop at the city line, but rather encom pass at least some of the surrounding suburban areas. (p. 1) The Michigan State University research team began its investigation in New Castle County, Delaware, after a three-judge federal district court ruled that area schools were illegally segregated between districts.

Contenu
1 Desegregation.- The Need to Desegregate American Education.- Segregation.- Desegregation.- Metropolitan Desegregation.- Opposition to School Desegregation.- The Future of School Desegregation.- References.- 2 School Desegregation in New Castle County, Delaware: Historical Background.- Historical Background.- Evans v. Buchanan-Liability and Remedy.- Public Bodies and Desegregation Plans.- Pupil Assignments.- First Three Years of Desegregation.- Ancillary Relief and Financial Turmoil.- State Legislature.- Student Code of Conduct.- Community Reaction.- Summary.- References.- 3 Educational components.- The Law.- The Components.- Conclusion.- References.- 4 Beyond Busing: New Evidence on the Impact of Metropolitan School Desegregation and Housing Segregation.- Research Design.- Findings.- Hispanics and Housing Segregation.- Discussion: The Dynamics of Racial Integration.- Conclusion: Toward a Theory of Metropolitan Desegregation.- References.- 5 Neighborhood Racial Composition and School Desegregation in New Castle County, Delaware.- The Relation between Discriminatory Housing Practices and School Enrollment Patterns.- The Relation between Neighborhood Racial Composition and Parent and Student Attitudes after School Desegregation.- The Relation between Neighborhood Racial Composition and Student Achievement.- Conclusion.- References.- 6 Improving Education in Desegregated Schools.- Attitudes of School Officials.- Teachers and Students in Desegregated Schools.- Equity Problems in Desegregated Schools.- Conclusion.- References.- 7 School and Individual Achievement Following Desegregation in New Castle County, Delaware.- Method.- Districtwide Achievement.- Individual Characteristics and Achievement.- School Characteristics and Achievement.- Discussion.- References.- 8 Parents' and Students' Attitude Changes Related to School Desegregation in New Castle County, Delaware.- Background.- Method.- Results.- Discussion.- References.- 9 School Desegregation: Some Ecological and Research Issues.- An Ecological Perspective.- First- and Second-Generation Issues.- Desegregation and Pupil Achievement.- Explaining Educational Outcomes.- The Family, Achievement, and Desegregation.- School Learning Climate and Achievement.- Desegregation Process Variables.- Ecological Ramifications.- Future Directions for Desegregation Research.- Desegregation Research: Clients and Constituencies.- New Clients for Desegregation Research.- Summary.- References.