The influence of racial integration on scholastic achievement in the elementary schools of Lufkin, Texas

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of classroom desegregation on scholastic achievement in the elementary schools of Lufkin, Texas. There was a possibility that desegregation of classrooms would cause more Negro students to experience failure in their academic program when they were placed in a desegregated class. The objectives in the study were: 1. To determine if there is a difference in scholastic achievement of Negro children and their white peers in their first year of integration in the public school classroom. 2. To determine whether there is any difference in the achievement rate of students in segregated and desegregated classrooms. 3. To determine whether the level of achievement of white students is lowered by desegregating the classroom. The literature was examined to determine what research had been done on the effects of classroom desegregation on scholastic achievement. The literature which was cited in the text indicated that, even though research has been done in this area, none of the studies compared a given classroom of white or Negro students with a racially desegregated classroom. Therefore, the decision was made to research the influence that integration has on scholastic achievement during a one year period. ...