The U.S. Supreme Court Speaks on Voluntary School Integration Plans: Policy and Practice Implications for Educational Leaders

Abstract

This article addresses important legal issues surrounding voluntary school integration plans and explores policy and practice implications of the Seattle and Louisville cases. School policy guidance for how school districts should create or change their voluntary integration policies is discussed. Further discussion reveals what some school districts around the nation are doing in light of the Seattle/Louisville decision. Additional discussion speaks of future policy possibilities for school districts and educational leaders to consider as a possible solution to creating voluntary school desegregation plans. Practical implications are addressed for middle and secondary school principals as school leaders who must deal with the outcomes produced by school district policies regarding integration plans.