Examining the Effects of Racial Desegregation Techniques on Low-Income Students

• In Event: Convergence and Disjunction in School Desegregation

Abstract

American Public Schools have entered into a post-Brown desegregation world in which no public school districts can legally desegregate their schools by race. Subsequently, alternative integration models have developed over time. In this study, the effectiveness of racial desegregation plans on low-income student achievement was examined. A comparative case study analysis compared the student achievement data in two different groups of schools within states—rural and urban schools. The results indicated limited significant and consistent results in support of the hypothesis that racial desegregation plans result in an increase in student achievement for low income students. The results suggest the need for additional research to investigate the impact of integration and desegregation models on low-income students.

Author

• Bethany J. Nichols, Cornell University