Research Advisory Panel
EXPERT GUIDANCE TO INFORM POLICY & PRACTICE
Research has always played a role in school integration advocacy, and NCSD believes that current research should inform the policy development process in a more systematic way. NCSD aims to increase real time, two-way communication between advocates and researchers on key contested questions.
We do this by:
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Consulting with leading educational researchers on important issues through our research advisory panel.
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Connecting both emerging and already-established school diversity scholars with one another and with integration program practitioners through a network of researchers.
Research Advisory Panel
NCSD has convened a group of leading researchers to help ensure that our advocacy efforts are informed by the most current, methodologically sound research on school integration. Many educational policymakers shy away from pursuing integration without considering the strong research evidence demonstrating its value as an educational reform tool. On the other hand, school integration advocates have not always acknowledged, been aware of, or adequately addressed the challenges that arise in racially and economically diverse learning environments. The NCSD’s advocacy efforts take these challenges into account.
Brief of 553 Social Scientists in PICS
553 social scientists and scholars with extensive expertise on school desegregation, diversity, and race relations in K-12 schools submitted a "friend of the court" brief in the Parents Involved case. Summarizing relevant research, it helped judges determine whether the challenged student assignment policies were constitutional.
"The body of research that has developed since Brown v. Board of Education supports three interrelated conclusions: (1) racially integrated schools provide significant benefits to students and communities, (2) racially isolated schools have harmful educational implications for students, and (3) race-conscious policies are necessary to maintain racial integration in schools."
