Where Do We Go From Here
One of the more complex and elusive aspects of the school reform debate relates to the juxtaposition of school desegregation and school equity. The desegregation mandate’s goal has been to achieve equity in the distribution of educational resources, as well as equitable access to educational opportunities. After half a century of implementing and enforcing measures designed to achieve integrated and equitable classrooms, our youth continue to be plagued by poor academic performance. One conclusion that can be drawn from this desegregation dilemma is that, perhaps, it had been successful in achieving its goal of cosmetic integration, but the task of achieving performance integration is more a function of adapting teaching and learning processes to classrooms and schools in particular communities. Some schools and school districts have been more successful or persistent than others in their focus on cosmetic integration; however, the result has, more often than not, led to minimal improvement in student academic achievement. The prevailing emphasis of school administrators and policymakers seems to be away from desegregation and balance and toward options that are designed to increase standardized test scores. The shortfall of this strategy is that it ignores the goals of the original mandate.
Because de jure desegregation, i.e. cosmetic integration, has not produced balanced academic performance across the school spectrum, our immediate focus must be on the achievement of performance integration, i.e. de facto desegregation, to realize equitable academic results. We need to create a range of responses and scenarios that take into account the unique characteristics of cultures, experiences, and perspectives of students, teaching professionals, and school communities. We must be open to the best possible solutions for our schools regardless of the cosmetic effects imposed on the student population. Ideally, we prefer schools that are adequately integrated, but the reality is that we have an unintended mandate to focus on achieving high academic performance in all schools. Our constantly changing world and the advanced levels of knowledge and skills required to succeed make it imperative that we expand our approach beyond cosmetics. Collaboration and interaction across schools and school systems can ensure that students from varying demographic groups gain access to academic resources and experiences that may not have been otherwise available to them. Intra- and inter-district partnerships are one solution to the prevailing inequities that result in the achievement disparities that plague some groups of students.
Because de jure desegregation, i.e. cosmetic integration, has not produced balanced academic performance across the school spectrum, our immediate focus must be on the achievement of performance integration, i.e. de facto desegregation, to realize equitable academic results. We need to create a range of responses and scenarios that take into account the unique characteristics of cultures, experiences, and perspectives of students, teaching professionals, and school communities. We must be open to the best possible solutions for our schools regardless of the cosmetic effects imposed on the student population. Ideally, we prefer schools that are adequately integrated, but the reality is that we have an unintended mandate to focus on achieving high academic performance in all schools. Our constantly changing world and the advanced levels of knowledge and skills required to succeed make it imperative that we expand our approach beyond cosmetics. Collaboration and interaction across schools and school systems can ensure that students from varying demographic groups gain access to academic resources and experiences that may not have been otherwise available to them. Intra- and inter-district partnerships are one solution to the prevailing inequities that result in the achievement disparities that plague some groups of students.
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