Mitigating Milliken? School District Boundary Lines and Desegregation Policy in Four Southern Metropolitan Areas, 1990–2010

Authors

Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Original Publication Date

2014

Journal/Book/Conference Title

American Journal of Education

Volume

120

Issue

3

First Page

391

Last Page

433

DOI

10.1086/675570

Comments

Includes appendix with supplemental maps and data tables.

Originally published on JSTOR at http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/675570.

Date of Submission

June 2015

Abstract

Over the past half century, law and policy have helped cement tremendous inequities into the structure of our cities. District boundary lines separating multiple, unequal school systems within a single metropolitan (metro) area play a central role in structuring racial and economic isolation. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, this study explores how patterns of school segregation are linked to desegregation policy and district boundary arrangements in four southern metro areas. Findings indicate that while city-suburban mergers create far more potential for meaningful school desegregation within a school system, simply eliminating district boundaries is not enough. Corresponding and well-designed school desegregation policy is necessary to achieve widespread integration of students. In a society growing more diverse even as its schools remain very separate, lessons from this study provide new insight into strategies that will help return our society to fulfilling the goals of Brown v. Board of Education.

Rights

© 2014 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. American Journal of Education, 120(3): 391-433

Is Part Of

VCU Educational Leadership Publications