Forced to Fail: The Paradox of School Desegregation

Forced to Fail traces the long legal history of first racial segregation, and then racial desegregation in America. The authors explain how rapidly changing demographics and family structure in the United States have greatly complicated the project of top-down government efforts to achieve an "ideal" racial balance in schools. It describes how social capital a positive outcome of social interaction between and among parents, children, and teachers creates strong bonds that lead to high academic achievement.