A statewide study was conducted to identify and describe successful voluntary school desegregation programs funded under Chapter 636, a 1974 amendment to Massachussets' Racial Imbalance Law. Programs selected were of four types: (1) school-based (elementary, middle, and high); (2) school system- or district-wide; (3) part-time and full-time magnet; and (4) Metco school communities, in which minority students are bused to suburban schools. The 12 programs described in this report include (1) and (2) Metco programs in Natick and Newton; (3) the Math Lab at William Trotter Elementary School, Boston; (4) a career education program at Thomas A. Edison Middle School, Boston; (5) a theatre arts program at Copley Square High School, Boston; (6) a staff development/teacher training program in Boston's District II, carried out in collaboration with Wheelock College; (7) Project READ in Boston's District I, conducted in collaboration with Boston University; (8) "Neighborhood Art Center: Project Four Worlds," a magnet program which pairs classes from Boston city and suburban schools; (9) "Casa del Sol: La Buena Herencia," a community-based adult education/cultural education program; (10) "Metropathways," another magnet program for Boston and suburban high school students; (11) a Spanish language instruction program at Sumner Avenue Elementary School, Springfield; and (12) "A Language to Share," a bilingual, multicultural program for students of various linguistic backgrounds residing in Lowell. The report's conclusion considers the elements that make these programs successful and highlights their concern with excellence. Another universal element of the programs is said to be a supportive school climate. Appended to the report are a State Board of Education policy statement on programs submitted for funding under Chapter 636 and a table detailing 1980 enrollments in the 12 programs described. (GC)