Effects of Desegregation
Some early studies of the effects of desegregation on academic achievement of minority students showed that desegregation did not improve the academic achievement of any of the affected students For instance Gerard and miller (1975) large study of the Riverside California system showed that minority students marks generally fell because teachers who were initially lenient made an effort to move to a more uniform standard of grading for all students. The data showed a trend for the minority children’s being less adjusted than the White children. Furthermore, sociometric ratings showed that few minority students were selected as workmates or friends Not surprisingly the teachers attitudes also influenced some of these measures. The students in the classrooms of the more biased teachers showed the greatest drops in verbal achievement scores. You will recognize this as the self-fulfilling prophecy.
Other studies produced mixed results with some gains and declines in achievement,whereas still others showed only positive effects or no effects at all of desegregation. What conclusions can be made from these mixed results? First consider that most studies are not well done that is many studies are not longitudinal : they do not track the long-term effects of desegregation from before the desegregation to afterward second many studies are correlational in nature thus cause and effect cannot adequately be determined Another important element is that few of the conditions for intergroup contact as described earlier are met in most desegregated school settings (Cook 1984) Finally and very importantly all of the studies are reactive that is the researchers wait for desegregation to occur and then examine it to declare it a success or failure. Cook (1985) suggested that this approach is bound not to support desegregation. Researchers ought to be proactive according to Cook . They should be looking for innovative means to carry out school desegregation before it occurs so as to enhance the academic achievement of all involved students (Cook 1985)
Because desegregation desegregation has been part of mainstream America for more than four decades now, one is able to study its long-term effects, those beyond the classroom. In a review of research on desegregated versus segregated schools and their long-term effects on assimilation of African Americans into adult life Braddock (1985) revealed that African Americans who attended desegregated schools were more likely than those attending segregated schools to attend desegregated colleges have more white friends and work associates, earn higher incomes and hold higher-status jobs. Desegregation alone might not explain these results Other processes-such as access to social networks reduced social inertia,avoidance of stereotypical behavior being shunned by employers and other factors-might also account for the apparent advantages of desegregation. Furthermore, some African Americans might argue that their assimilation into mainstream U.S. culture is a disaster; it diminishes the preservation of their own, rich cultures Regardless of the reasons school desegregation may be the most significant example off a national-policy innovation (Braddock,1985) with far-reaching long-term effects
In the fall of 1994 minority students in elementary and secondary schools totaled almost 32 percent of all enrollments (Association for Educational Communications and Technology 1998) The number of Hispanic students historically has increased at a greater rate than any other group. Society must continue its efforts to understand the effects of diversity in the schools and to foster its acceptance in conclusion school desegregation and diversity in the classroom are controversial issues but they are not going away