School Desegregation, Making it Work : A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation.

Issues involved in making school desegregation work are discussed in this conference report. A review of legal landmarks and a discussion of the precedents and standards of which the implementation of school desegregation depends are given. To provide background in the history of desegregation, an overview of critical integration court battles is provided. The roles of the social scientist, the school superintendent, the lawyer, the school board member, and the press are considered. Social scientists play a crucial role in court and in studying the outcomes of school desegregation in terms of attitudes change and academic achievement. Litigation is one sure way to keep school desegregation moving forward. Desegregation cases require carefully researched data. This is the area where lawyers find social science research useful in their roles as legal advocates. Mobilizing a system for desegregation is a very complex task, and ways to mobilize a district smoothly regardless of school superintendent personality and political power are discussed. The role of the school board member is critical, since he must act as the political power broker for the poor and serve as the plaintiff in desegregation court cases. It is noted that the media does not have the power to change public opinion about desegregation, but that it reflects national opinion. Specific guidelines for successful implementation of school desegregation are given. (Author/AM)

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