The decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1" (2007) has forced school districts to begin thinking of new ways to integrate their schools without relying on race as the single factor in their assignment plans. While some school districts already have begun…

In recent years, the responsibility for the desegregation of American public schools has transitioned from federal court mandates to school board programs and policies. There is widespread belief that this has resulted in the resegregation of schools across the country. One popular policy that is purported to provide the opportunity for voluntary…

This manual was written to help guide education stakeholders--including parents, students, school board members, community activists, administrators, policymakers and attorneys--in their efforts to promote racial diversity and avoid racial isolation in suburban school systems. Critical information on the current legal, political and policy issues…

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…

A plan to promote parental school choice, namely, the Cambridge Controlled Choice School Desegregation Plan, is described in this report. The introduction presents a definition and the history of school choice, and the second chapter offers a program description of the community context, an overview of the public school situation in Cambridge,…

Reports on teacher, principal, parent, and student reactions to a desegregation plan implemented in Buffalo, New York, which permits teachers to choose the magnet schools in which they desire to teach and parents to select their children's schools. (GC)

This article presents research on the school choice processes and practices in a large urban district on the West Coast. It shares the stories of three mothers' experiences with public school choice and tells how, through the process of choosing schools for their children, they became participants in the inequities and inequalities of 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)

The article incorporates a critical theoretical and methodological framework to study a large urban district's implementation of a court-ordered voluntary integration program through magnet school choice. Drawing on the interview data from parents and district staff, the author analyzes the data as they relate to the district's magnet school…

Focuses on the application of a targeted and regulated voucher system to the problems of racial segregation. Suggests that under a regulated voucher system, minorities (Chapter 1 students, in particular) have a better chance of obtaining both the racial balance and the school characteristics they desire. (Author/GC)

Describes the voluntary, interdistrict transfer plan implemented to accomplish desegregation in the public schools in the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area. (GC)

A magnet school has four essential ingredients: a distinctive curriculum; a unique district purpose for voluntary desegregation; an opportunity for school choice; and access to students beyond a district attendance zone. Most magnet schools have one of five types of curricular themes: the fine, applied, or performing arts; the sciences; social…

Two papers by B. C. Clewell and M. F. Joy and one paper by the Educational Commission of the States discuss the frequently debated questions of parental choice of the public schools their children attend. The first paper, "Montclair--A Model Magnet," describes the experience of the Montclair (New Jersey) school system in using a…

Information sources used by parents of majority and minority students in making decisions about school choice, with a focus on busing, are examined in this report. A mailed survey of parents of approximately 8,431 students in the San Jose Unified School District (California) yielded 934 responses, of which minority households comprised 60 percent…