It was critical that the U.S. Supreme Court have the best empirical evidence available to help inform its decisions in "Fisher." The "amicus" brief filed by 444 researchers from 172 institutions in 42 states was the result of a collaborative effort among members of the social science, educational, and legal communities. In her role as counsel of…

This past June, a 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court declared integration plans in Louisville and Seattle unconstitutional because of their focus on race as one factor in assigning students to schools. The Court's ruling in the "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1" and "Meredith v. Jefferson…

Magnet schools differ from other forms of alternative schools in being specifically intended to assist school systems in their desegregation efforts. Magnet schools have been defined by the federal courts as those having a "distinctive program of study" designed to attract a cross section of students from all racial groups voluntarily. Several…

This booklet was written to describe and evaluate the role of magnet schools in desegregation plans. The author presents case studies of two moderately successful magnet schools, the Martin Luther King Middle School in Boston and the Clifton Multi-Age Magnet School in Cincinnati. He then discusses magnet schools in the context of desegregation and…

In Northern Ireland, groups of school children, parents, teachers, and principals are supporting religiously integrated schools. This paper gives an account of this movement and the history behind Catholic/Protestant tensions in Northern Ireland. The "Controlled" school system in the country is largely Protestant, whereas the…

Discusses questions about Massachusetts magnet schools, including (1) reaching parents who do not choose magnets; (2) how the school affects different groups of children; (3) how equity is embodied in life at school; (4) how magnet schools achieve unity; (5) whether parent choice leads to parental empowerment; and (6) why the magnet schools have…

Examines research demonstrating that forced busing does not guarantee equal education or raise minority achievement. Advocates a first choice, free transportation system to fulfill the intent of Brown v. Board of Education. (SK)

In rulings between 1954 and 1971, the Supreme Court always emphasized that racially segregated schools were inherently unconstitutional, although it upheld a system of student assignments that was neutral toward race. But with the Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenberg Board of Education decision of 1971, the court embarked on a new remedial course. A…

Proposes that voluntary interdistrict programs should be seriously considered as a major desegregation strategy. Reviews social, demographic, and legislative trends that support this proposal and describes conditions that are required for such programs to flourish. (GC)

Presents a partial transcript of a Congressional committee hearing at which Representative Bobbi Fiedler of California testified in favor of voluntary desegregation methods rather than mandatory busing in order to implement the goals of school desegregation and equal education in Los Angeles, California. (MJL)

Based on a conference held in November 1982, this document attempts to distill and include those thoughts, arguments, and data judged to be most helpful in formulating a plan for improving and expanding voluntary interdistrict school integration in New York State. The first 3 sections describe trends over 30 years in the amount of segregation,…

Presented here are the remarks of William Bradford Reynolds, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division at the Education Commission of the States National Project on Desegregation Strategies' Workshop. Reynolds states that mandatory busing and other remedial techniques to achieve racial balance in schools (measures tentatively sanctioned by…

Analysis of the school desegregation experience in Los Angeles, California, suggests that the voluntary methods chosen by the board of education have had very small impacts on the overall pattern of segregation. A mandatory metropolitan plan would be the best way to achieve stable, long-term desegregation in Los Angeles. (Author/MJL)

Race-conscious employment programs are considered in two contexts: governmental measures designed to remedy governmentally identified past discrimination or underrepresentation of minority employees; and voluntary implementation of remedial, race-conscious measures by private employers. (Author/MC)

In many urban areas, educators rely on magnet schools to strike a delicate balance between the need to create opportunities for equity in education and the need for parents to have greater choice among schools. But, are magnet schools successful? This document considers whether they fulfill the promises of high achievement and desegregation in…