DOCUMENT RESUME D 070 782 | . up 012. 806 AUTHOR Armor, David J. TITLE The Evidence on Busing. Research Report. PUB DATE 72 NOTE . 3Ips JOURNAL CIT “Public Interest; n28 p90-126 sum 1972 EDRS PRICE *MP-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS Academic Achievement; Academic Aspiration; Bus Tradsportation; Educational Opportunities: Higher Education; *Integration Effects; *Integration : Methods; Negro Students; *Program Evaluation; Race Relations; *School Integration; Self Esteem; Student Transportation; *Transfer Prograns ABSTRACT The development of school integration programs Ehroughout the country has made possible a test of the hypothesis khat School integration enhances black achievement, aspirations, Self-esteem, race relations, and: opportunities for’ higher education. he programs reviewed here have two important characteristics that fay limit ability to their being generalized: they are examples of induced integration, and all use varying amounts of busing to accomplish integration. Five reports on integration programs in Rozehern cities throughout the country are cited: (1) Project HETCO, maton, Massachusatts; (2) white Plains, New York; (3) Ann Arbor Michigan; (4) Riverside, California; and, (5) Project concern, see peea an’ New Haven, Connecticut. To test the iypothesis, findings are grouped under five major headings--the effects of busing and integration on: (1) academic achievenent; (2) aspirations; (3) self"concept; (4) race relations; and (5) educational opportunities. Program support is also examined. In each case, bused students ate Fo™ared with the control groups to assess those changes that might pe uniquely associated with the effects of induced integration, the implications of these findings for policy are then examined. Sines the data do not support the hypothesis on most counts, the busden eefefail wwon those who support a given school integration program Ro cemonstrate that it has the intended effects--with no unintesded, negative side-effects. (author/JM)"National Affaire, ~Taey ley orks Ne sg SESE Bee aT gg RESEARCH REPORT The Evidence on Busing DAVID J. ARMOR Testa of te national policy of int school busing issue today-—is the dedaration of the Supreme Court in 1954 shat : to separate [black children] from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect thelr hearts and minds in a way ‘unlikely ever to be undone, Few decisions of the Court have provoked so much contgpversy for so Tang, or have had so much impact on the way of life of many per~ sons, as the ease of Brotcn v. the Board of Education of Topeka, where this doctrine is stated. Policy makers have used it to restructure po- litical, economic, and social institutions. Groups have rioted and states “Rarely con an unpublished academic aitcle have attracted as much ‘attention andl publicity as has this analysis of busing. Professor ‘Armor, a sociologist who specializes in research metiods and social ‘statistics, played a leading role in research on the Boston METGO ‘study, which tcas one of the earliest evaluations of the effect: of bus- __ ing on Dlack students. In this article he reports the detailed findings of that stuly plus those of several other comparable studies. While Ihis manuscript was being copy-edited in our office, its findings were being “reported” in the national press (e.g, New York Times, Wash ington Post, Boston Globe), and they have even heen denounced publicly by erities who have never seon the results of the studies themselves. We are publishing the full text of this academic article all the graphs, footnotes, and references are included at the end Sheeause we think that, in so controversial a matter‘as busing, it is importent to be as precise as possible, even at the risk of ped- autry. Inevitably, findings such as those of Professor Armor give rise only to public but also to sehelarly controversy. In our next issue ‘esha rit commentsonProfetsorAmorsartle yoke scholar —Editors (although it docs-leadto the, channeling, of black students to bettet colleges). The available evidence thus indi- cates that busing isnot ian effective policy instrument for ri “Sachieverient of black students or for increasing interracial harmony. On the other hand, the'existing studies do not rule out the pos ity that in the longer run, or in other respects, busing, may indeed Ptove to have substantial positive consequences. “* The available evidence on busing, then, seems to lead totwes policy conclusions. One is that massive mandatory Besife 4 . % lear a eee sen ipa Bhp sitovignbon etn oir ase prbi $poses of improving student achiovement and interracial harmony is not effective and should not be adopted at this time. The other is that voluntary integration programs such as METCO, ABC, or Proj- eet Concem should be continued and positively encouraged by sub- stantial federal and state grants. Such voluntary programs should be encouraged so that those parents and communities who believe in the symbolic and potential (but so far unconfirmed) long-run benefits of induced integration will have ample opportunity to send ‘their children to integrated schools. Equally important, these ‘vol- luntary programs will permit social scientists and others to improve and broaden our understanding of the longerstun and other con- sequences of induced school integration. With a more complete Imowledge than we now possess ofthis complicated matter, we shall hopefully be in a better position to design effective public eduea- tion policies that are known in advance to work to the benefit of all ‘Americans, both blackand white, yen in voluntary schoo! integration programs, however, our data indicate that certain steps should be taken which might help alleviate the problems of achievement and race relations. Wholesale integra tion without regard to achievement levels of wiite and black stu ents can lead to potentially frustrating experiences. Some selectivity right be desable so that both groups rllect a sipilr achievement capacity. Althougig certain amount of racial evllable, full eduditin of both ago causes of differences might. Wouldendangertioguieany Ses 27 30ne must aso consider ie Her-fypes of integra. ‘toa programs may be i said'snce the outset that our data dé nit ‘roughtbouthythe did eg fb — that such progrims would bé,biOpt slecessfal over the long run, at im tem ay tig kr fe eniy might tend to anieliorate black feelings of separateness that are feteredin the relaveh-cbntsivel using station Whether or not this kind. of programm could also chinge standardized achievement levels remains to be seen, Since the differences between black and white achievement are so large and consistent across so many differ- ent sottings and studies, we must entertain the possibility that no ples af schol integration will lesen this gap. Refereh wl have to bbe continued in this area before the full causal mechanisms are un- destood and a firm basis is establaked on which soci action ean, Accordingly be planned. Although we have been critical of some aspects of the connection between social science and public policy in the integration move. ‘ment, we do not want to imply that their connection should be less: ened. On the contrary, the real goals of social science and ‘public policy are not in opposition; the danger is rather that the connection ay not be close‘enough to enable us to make sound decisions. Soci. ety'can only benefit by those ties which combine the advantage of Scientific knowledge with a clear awareness ofits limitations.Ficune 1, Reading Achievement—Elementary.* ‘Matonstan Aehevernt Tey, nosey spc gala when buted compe Sota te age og 83 for TMdFouris nen and $9 fr Filh-Sch grades {or Fath poder TERT) cont 8 naa Sa: tatgen (ary ccuual 68 (aa pie nisi cial Saha Hs ai aha aeFroune 3. Grade Poi MT ene te Sana ‘FU csecon: bused 2.48 (Smt); col 273 (NaS9)—sgiternce acer ta 2 GR Se ete, 204 tee, Ficune 4, Per Cent Wanting a Bachelor's Degree. selma: bated 71 (N88) cat (N87) ‘Pat Seren: bed 09 (man fs cona af (0) nent ‘Pl eretsson: tsed SO (Nds0" cond 50, (Naa mot enna ¥Ficune,5. Per Cent Expecting a Professional or Technical Occupa- tion. IRE! tee ans nt ene erent en etl cane ‘Pat crsacin: based 696 (N=911); con “SPal canst: buted 624 wre S20 (Mog aot eet - ‘Poll cowecton: Bed 66/6 % net sean Et 68 (Se Fioune 6. Per Cent Feeling More Intelligent than Classmates. ssid ah i ac stn pimoniaeaeFicune 7. Per Cent Waniing to be in a School with no More than 50 Per Cent White Students, : a até RH bed chanes ety cea om cnt! cane 5 ee) a {Fen Soracin: based 09 (na 1) conte (NED) nt iat, ‘FU Secon: bated 70m (oats); contol SSR (NOBEO) cafe ade 001,Ficune 9, Separatist Ideology Index. Indatessucoet pratt fens bl ed change iiany greater tan coal i 4 (se3t)s 4 Pan Cencncon: boned 1 {Reba} come 5 ‘Pil Goucaetn: bcd EA (Rod); comet 13 ¢we, Ficune 11.-Per Cent Attending College Full-time, ‘98 far tne pins. oe “y Fioune 12. Percentage of Bused ond Control Students Who, Sym- pathize with the Black Panthers, by College Plans and “Academic Performance.FoorNoTEs: 4a spite ofthese preeantions, we mast sll warn tht iis dieu to ke comme ‘arions and generalizations when data are derived from diferent studies Ae, al of the studies we review were dope in Nonthem ets so tet out Bae at be geimalizable fo the South. Nncthelem the tues do revel sheets slear and consistent Endings in cartain ares 4 emble at lest speloniny a sesmet of the llc of induced ltgration Io dato sepegted ches 0 the Nor ‘The date summarized inthe epons ited were subjected to extensive reansbas {forthe present study The nimber of junior and senor high students participating inthe METCO study ee fllows: wave one, $87 Insed (80 percent the ttl populatony ‘0d 112 controls (54 per esnt of the eile population); wave twee 369 baoed (Si pez eat) and 67 contol (32 percent) wave tee, 483 use (Gr per con) and 232 contol (65 per cent). Bees of clerk eosin relating seheveant igisaqetinna ne rine dal or eon de ae en shout 10 per ent fewer respondents in exch group. Civen the lw tenon ee for wave two and othet factors (dropouts, grates, tansters ows conde bused satus), ou panel ofseconday schoo! students with schfewement dats fer ‘both esting period consist 198 boxed students and 4 contol sents forte questionnaite data the pane conve af 195 bused students with data fron Saves and 8 conrl stents wit data from wave one an wave these TO 4G stadens nthe contol oup hd questionnaire dtn fom al eee waves OF Ue inital sample of contol ulents over a third had eter graded or ace, ferred into the busing progr by the third wave) natin, schercront ata for elementary grade sealer panels of WAT bused sean Neo ent ofthe wave one sample) andl contol (44 per ceat). Civen te sete il prapaton ofboth bused and contol students the pancle thee 8 Sonera te pence ae not rqetne of te hal pee BS students a thet matched siblings Inthe comparsons we mate ih the see seetion, thfore, we sal also present data from the complete eessectons fat all waves. The bused pane does not difersigatfcay from the fll esr section of bused tadents, an the contol pane dle in no way that would ale oar Iman coclsons. In ater words, the estretionl data canbe el sss cheek gn the panel data; te absence of any divergence between the tro sts of fede {ngs fates that the ntetion ofthe pels doesnot validate he pac! fais iss was carved out on the 240 bused students who were innth waren soe fia thre, spresenting 74 pe cent ofthe wavs on samples and ee wees umportantdiferences between these rests and the ents fom the sales ace, wave panel). ‘Research reports for number of wily-discuned basing programs were not Included for varfous reasons. For example, the Bereley, Galfer, busing pros sam has not been sgtematclly tubed, a repos weal, however shes shows that black student achievement as far behind (or further bind) white Aachovenent aftr two years of inopstion ts hele ntepration (Danbachee AGTL). A study of the Rochester busing program sho lacked 2 proper pretesl design, (Rochester City Schoo! Disc "1010). The Sty hal mete se Boittestachicvement scores from diferent test, and contol wuts wth get exaly Tower pre-test scores nd usel analysis of eovarlanee to nae adhe, tents for potest scores Such saltial adjustments do not meena elins ‘ate intl differences between the based and coneal groups A tid sey of the Evanston integration program-wax received too fate for ele {ilea, 1071), This report did show, however tat aftr fwe to three yeas of en tn, itesrated Black students were st 3s far~orfrher-beBiod whe seats 4s before integration, This research aba confirmed the reduction i Hach see demic seconcept alter integration andthe temeney for lack wdert reds to decline, We Know of no other stuies of induced schoel intonation dee North which have the resetrch sont necesay fr esashing ose seo {ect relationship wit, a lonitudial design With « control soup About half ofthe elementary students and two this of the tesnery stunts ss ii ated ancien cassiaere new tothe program i 1968. However, there were no dfereneet in scores forthe newhy-busel compared tothe previguy bused stale, Stn difernces between the newy-bnsed ani the previwynsed revealed po particular pattern for thd avd fourth graders the prevowly- bused were ‘gher by 15 points, but for fifth and sith grdrs the neniy-hured were higer ‘by 5 pols; in any event there were no satay signiant afer oy Buin scores a “The newlybused student Gere somewhat higher than the prevousysed lnally for bth jonioe abd senine high srlens (9 and 25, rempectvey), bot the diference were not simian {The conte school seas 3 “nturally” Integrated school with an incestng po- portion of bck students twas sched fo he ced dgwn he fallowtng yor ‘The patter of black achievement fling Ferther behind white achlovemcat st Inter grade levels has been extensively documented (Coleman, 1866; Rosenfeld and Hilton, 1971). $eEven thee vo aignicant rests might not have occurred ifthe data had ben spalyzed diferenty. The author contalled for prebusing scores using sae af covariance rather than amzing pn scores ace fect 4). Since te thor did oot present pretest means, we.cannot know ifthe based tod con. tol groups difeed intl. The grtde-polot system ied here hasan a5 dps, Bas 8 pelts, snd oon, The Ann Aibor study did include met cre Of occupational sopaton bet the vrition was so gest (nl to speak of the coding problems present by uch shoiees 25 “superman” and “ary princes") that erpetation wes sie, "SA recent Gallup Poll reposted tht 4'per cent ofa mitonal ron-ebite sample ae oppor to busing for acl balance, 43 per eest were in favor and IT her sent were undecided (August 1911) REFERENCES Alport, Gordon W., 1954. The Nature of Prejudice, Cambridge, Massa- ‘chusetts, Addison-Wesley. : Acer, David J», 1967, “The Racial Composition of Schools and Callege Aspirations of Black Students.” Appendix C2 of Racial Tilation in the Public Schools, Goverument Printing Ofée,/U.S, Comission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. 1972, “School and Family Effects on Black and White Achievement,” in Frederic Mosteler and Daniel P. Moynihan, eds., On Equality of Ede ational Opportunity, New York, Random Hovse ‘Armor, David and Wiliam J. Genova, 1970, "METCO Student Attitudes and Aspirations: A Three-Year Evaluation,” unpublished manuscript Bowles, Samuel and Henry Levin, 1968. “The Determination of Scholastic Achiovement: An Appraisal of Some Recent Evidence,” The Journal of Human Resourees, Vol. IM, No. 1, Carrigan, Patricia ML, 1969, “School Desogregstion via Compulsory Pupil Transfer: Early Effects on Elementary School Childzen,” Final Report for Project No, 61820, Contract No. OFC-3-6-061320-0659, US. Offce of Education. ‘Clark, Kenneth B, and M, P. Clark, 1947. “Racial Identification and Prefer- ence in Negro Children,” in T. M. Newcomb and E. L. Hartley (eds), ‘Readings in Social Psychology, New York, Hot, Rinehart, and Winston, Clinton, Ronald R, 1969. “A Study of the Improvement in Achievement ‘of Basic Skill of Children Bused from Urban to Suburban School Environ- ‘ments,” unpublished Masters Thesis, Southern Connecticut State Colle Coleman, James, et al, 1966. Equality of Educational Opportunity, Wash ington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office.‘TE EvImENeE ON mustne was Dambacher, Arthur D., 1974, “Compation of Achievement ‘Test Scores made by Berkeley Elementary ludents, Pre and Post Integration” un published report, Derkley Unifed School District, Beskeley, Calera Deutsch, Morton and Mary Evans Collins, 1981. Zntercial Howsinge A Paychological Ecauation of a Social Experiment, Univesity of Minnesota Press Dollard, Joho, 1957. Caste“and Cla Doubleday. f Gerard Harold and Norman Miles, 1971.4PaetorsCantbuting to Adjust ment and Achievement in Racially Desogregated School,” unpubled manuscript, Departinent of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles. Grectey, Andrew M. and Paul B Sheasley, 1971. “Atitudes toward Racal Integration,” Scienife Amerieon, Vol. 235, No.6 Hsia, Seyjia, 1971. “Integration in Evanston, 1967-71." Educational Testing Servies, Evanston, I Jones, Janes, 1972, Ps ton Wade. Mahan, Thomas W. 1968. Projet Concur—1966-1968, Hartford Public Schools Meter, I. Paul, 1971. “American Sociology and Black Assimilation: Cone Siting Perspectives,” American Sociological Reviee, LXXVI, 627.547 Myrdal, Gunnar, 1544, An American Dilemmé, New York Harper and Bros, Perry, George, 1972, "A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effects of ABC on College Attendance,” unpublished report. A Better Chance, Boston." Porter Sudith, 1971, Black Clild, White Chl, Harvard University Dre "Proshansky, Harold and Peggy Newton, 1968. “The Nature and Meaning of Negro Selden.” in Deutsch, et a, eds, Social Clas, Race end Poy. chological Measurement, New York, Holt, Rinekat, and Winston Port, Mabel and Judith Dawson, 1974. “The Achievement of Pupils in De- segregated School.” unpublished manuscript, Riverside Unified School Distt, Califor. Rochester City School Bjstit, 1970. “Final Report: A Three-Year Longs tudinal Study to Aseset Fifteen Point Plan to Reduce Racal Indien” Rochester, New York. Rosenfeld, Michael and Thomas Hilton, 1971."Negro-White Diferences in Adolescent Educational Growth,” American Educational Reseerch Jour. nal, Vol VI. St John, Nancy, 1970. ‘Desegregation and Minority Goup Performance,” Reviow of Educational Research, Vol. 40, 111134, Stouffer; Samuel Ay etal, 194. The American Solder, Princeton Uni versity Bess Vol ~ US. Commission om Civil Rights, 1967. Racal lation in the Pubic Schools, Washington, D.C, Government Printing Ofc. Useem, Betsy, 1971. “White Suburban Secondary Students in Schoois with ‘Token Desegresation,” unpublished Ph.D. Thats, Graduate School of Ha cation, Harvard University. 1972. “Correlates of Racial Atitudes Among White High School Stu- dents” enpublished mansserpt. in a Southern Town, New York,bial ioieliccat ec Walberg, Herbert J, 1969. "Student Achievement and Perception of Class Leaming Environments,” unpublished nianuseript, METCO, Boston ‘White Pains High Schools, 1967, "White Plains Racial Balance Plan Evalu- ation," White Plains, New York 2 Wilson, Alan B., 1967, “Educational Cunsequences of Segregation in a California Community." Appendix C3 in Racial Isolation in the Public Schools, Government Printing Office, US. Commission on Civil Rights, : Washington, D.C. CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE ‘Dav J. Anoson is Associate Profestor of Sociology at Harvard. His article owes much to the assistance of Mary Jo Good. He also re- ceived helpful erticism of early draft: of his paper from James Jones, Claude Fischer, George Perry, and Nancy St. John. Part of the work reported upon in his article was nade possible by a grant from the Spencer Foundation administered through the Harvard f Graduate School of Education. ... Axttioxy Downs is Senior Vice President of Real Estate Research’ Corporation in Chicago... As (_ “Mynicx Fnezataw IIIs Associate Professor of Economics at Bowdoin “~~ : College, ... Natuaw Grazen is Profesor of Education and Social : : Structure at Harvard University... ANoREW M, GREELEY is Director, Center forthe Study of American Pluralism at National Opinion Ke- search Center, the University of Chicago. : .. Tits Hoxonapue Enrru Gaeex, Congresswoman from Oregon, isan influential mem ber of the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Rep- resentatives. Her article originally appeared in The Educational Forum, Vol. XXXVI, No. 1, November 1971, and is reprinted here bby permission... . Ronenr H. Havensax is Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin... Invine Kristo is Henry Luce Profes- sor of Urban Values at New York University... Lasren C. Titonow is Professor of Economics and Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.