Although it is clear that racial segregation is linked to academic achievement gaps, the mechanisms underlying this link have been debated since Coleman published his eponymous 1966 report. In this paper, I examine 16 distinct measures of segregation to determine which is most strongly associated with academic achievement gaps. I find very clear…

The fight for equal educational opportunity in New York has followed a pattern similar to other diverse or racially transforming states. From the 1950s to 1980s, the issue of school desegregation was an important issue. Local civil rights pressure, the courts, and legislation attempted to desegregate large urban school systems through both…

North Carolina has a storied history of school integration efforts spanning several decades. In response to the "Brown" decision, North Carolina's strategy of delayed integration was more subtle than the overt defiance of other Southern states. Numerous North Carolina school districts were early leaders in employing strategies to…

This report summarizes the results of achievement tests administered in the Spring of 1981 to students in court-identified minority-isolated schools in San Diego, California. An introduction outlines the court order and describes the tests and the participating schools. In 28 of the 36 subject-grade level instances analyzed, student achievement on…

During spring 1983, approximately 12,000 students who were enrolled in the court-identified minority-isolated (MI) schools in the San Diego City Schools were administered the appropriate levels of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS). The content areas of reading, language, and mathematics were assessed. In Grades 5, 7, and 9, all…

This report is about the changing patterns of segregation in American public schools through the 2003-2004 school year. It begins by examining the transformation of racial composition in the nation's schools, the dynamic patterns of segregation and desegregation of all racial groups in regions, states, and districts by using data from 1968 until…

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) provide a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of school segregation within the context of rapid demographic changes and key policy changes. This paper, the first of two reports, focuses on the dynamics of segregation, demographic changes, and implications for graduation rates in the Denver Public Schools. It…