This collection surveys black education at a time when responsibility for minority education is shifting from the federal to the local level. It begins with an editors' preamble and two general commentaries, followed by a section headed "Perspective and Analysis," which includes the articles "Equity in Education: A Low Priority in the School Reform Movement"; "Educational Policy Trends in a Neoconservative Era"; and "Legislating for Effective Schools and Academic Excellence." Under the heading "Selected Issues" appear the articles "Black Teachers: A Vanishing Tradition"; "Improving Black Education: Perspectives on Parent Involvement"; "Test Fairness and Bias: Measuring Academic Achievement Among Black Youth"; "Sorting Black Students for Success and Failure: The Inequity of Ability Grouping and Tracking"; and "The Eroding Status of Blacks in Higher Education: An Issue of Financial Aid." The next section, "Spectrum on Desegregation," includes the articles: "The Intended and Unintended Benefits of School Desegregation"; "The Case for a Separate Black School System"; "Desegregating with Magnet and One-Race Elementary and Secondary Schools"; and "The Consent Decree as a Tool for Desegregation in Higher Education." Under "Strategies for Academic Excellence" appear the articles "Elements of Effective Black Schools"; "School Power: A Model for Improving Black Student Achievement"; "Reintegration for Education: Black Community Involvement with Black Students in Schools"; "Memphis Inner-City Schools Improvement Project: A Holistic Approach for Developing Academic Excellence"; and "A Community Initiative: Making a Difference in the Quality of Black Education." Appended are two special reports: "Black School Pushouts and Dropouts: Strategies for Reduction"; and "Black Teenage Pregnancy: A Challenge for Educators." Brief biographies of the 30 contributors conclude this collection. (DM)