Sheneka M. Williams

The Life and Death of Desegregation Policy in Wake County Public School System and Charlotte­Mecklenburg Schools

The state of North Carolina is one of few states in the South in which two large districts committed to desegregating schools in the early 1970s. However, the state’s two largest districts, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools (CMS) and Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) have experienced ups and downs in their policy commitment to desegregated schools. This article utilizes a cross-case policy analysis to examine levels of segregation in CMS and WCPSS over a 10-year period. In addition, the authors examine school finance data to determine whether district spending and local and federal contributions have an effect on student outcomes in CMS and WCPSS. The authors also compare district outcomes against the backdrop of student assignment policy within each district. Findings indicate that despite spending mechanisms, both districts have become more segregated over time and that the achievement gap has narrowed between the districts’ students.

The Reversed Role of Magnets in St. Louis: Implications for Black Student Outcomes.

Magnet schools were originally created to attract a diverse student population. Using data from the 23 magnet schools in St. Louis, this longitudinal study is twofold: first, to review the performance outcomes of the magnet schools across a 5-year period, between 2005-2006 and 2009-2010, and second, to examine whether the magnet schools are fostering segregation among the city’s Black families. The relationship between a school’s demographics, its surrounding community, and student outcomes is investigated. Finally, these data are used to question whether student demographics should matter for Black students if appropriate academic outcomes are being met.

Through the Eyes of Friends: An Investigation of School Context and Cross-Racial Friendships in Racially Mixed Schools.

Racially mixed schools are important because they affect the distribution of academic achievement, racial attitudes, subsequent social and economic outcomes of students, and patterns of residential integration. The purpose of this article is to capture and describe the role that adolescent friendships play in the educational and social experiences of students enrolled in racially mixed, or desegregated, schools. Based on qualitative analysis that includes semi-structured, in-depth interviews of female adolescents from middle school to high school, this study provides the practice- and policy-based implications of cross-racial friendships.

Social Science Research and School Diversity Policy

For decades, policy makers, advocates, and researchers have been engaged in efforts to make educational opportunity more equal for students from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. A great deal of research has been conducted on their efforts; however, there is some disagreement on the extent to which the research has been influential. To examine the level of influence that social science research has had on school diversity policy, the authors conducted unstructured interviews with eight activists who use such research in arguments about school diversity. Findings from the study indicate that the influence of social science research is ambiguous, and to have influence, activists felt they had to target specific policy goals over a period of time.

Introduction: Contesting Equity in the Twenty-First Century

Equity has long been one of the main goals of public education in the United States, even though public schooling has often fallen short of the ideal in practice. Notions of what educational equity requires have shifted over time. Currently, as this issues articles show, many ideas about educational equity are contending with each other in policy and politics. The political environment is not just complex but also challenging. At a time when resources for public institutions are increasingly scarce, the demographic disparities between the school-aged population and the older population may make the pursuit of equal opportunity especially contentious, particularly as seniors are more likely to vote than younger adults. Our goal for this issue is to participate in the ongoing scholarly debate on equal opportunity, with the ultimate goal of a deeper understanding of how equal-opportunity policies work and what kinds of politics produce and either sustain or undermine these policies.

Policy Issues in Science Education: The Importance of Science Teacher Education, Equity, and Social Justice

Science teacher educators face more pressure to bridge the gap between preservice science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and students’ learning outcomes with the increase in diversity among middle and high school student populations. The purpose of this chapter is to review science teacher education policy in conjunction with standards to which teachers teach. Moreover, this chapter sets forth a new policy agenda to improve science teacher practices and science performance among low-income rural and urban students of color by redefining the policy problem in science teacher education.

Micropolitics and Rural School Consolidation: The Quest for Equal Educational Opportunity in Webster Parish

School consolidation in rural districts has been ongoing since the 1800s. Although many district personnel tout economic inefficiency as a reason for consolidation to occur, micropolitics among school board members, parents, and the business community often drive the consolidation process. This article presents a qualitative case study of Webster Parish, which documents the formulation and implementation of school consolidation policy in a rural context. On a macrolevel, I examine the role of micropolitics among district personnel in making the decision to consolidate. I also investigate the role of parish stakeholders—generally the business community and parents—in implementing the plan. On a microlevel, I explore the underlying themes of poverty, race, and educational opportunity as Webster Parish develops and implements a school consolidation plan. I find in the case of Webster Parish that strained community relations and micropolitics among parish stakeholders impeded the progress of providing equal educational opportunity to the parishs students. Given that many cases of micropolitics and education reform focus on urban districts, I find that it is significant to examine the role of micropolitics in educational change (or lack thereof) taking place in segregated, rural districts.