Research Brief No. 13 - The National Coalition on School Diversity - May 2018

Oct 15, 2026

Schools can unite youth across racial and ethnic lines, and new social science evidence shows that sustained interracial contact helps young people thrive in a multiracial society. This research brief summarizes findings on integrated schooling and explains practical implications for school social relations and learning contexts. It highlights how cross-racial friendships, cooperative learning, supportive norms, and meaningful intergroup contact can improve attitudes, reduce anxiety about difference, and support empathy, leadership, and long-term social change.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Research Brief No. 13: The National Coalition on School Diversity

Summary and Key Message

Evidence for Sustained Interracial Contact

Practical Implications for Schools

Context: Segregation and the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education

| Brief No. 13 | The National Coalition on School Diversity | | --- | --- | | May 2018
Commemorating the 64th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. | Research Brief
Re-Weaving the Social Fabric through Integrated Schools: How Intergroup Contact Prepares Youth to Thrive in a Multiracial Society | | By Linda R. Tropp and Suchi Saxena
SUMMARY
Schools remain one of the few social institutions that have the potential to bring youth together across racial and ethnic lines. New social science research demonstrates the importance of fostering sustained interracial contact between youth in order to prepare them to thrive in a multiracial society. This brief aims to summarize much of this new evidence, with special attention to its practical implications for the social relations and contexts within schools.
| | “The legal system can force open doors, and sometimes-even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me. The country can’t do it. Afro and White, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, our fates are bound together. We can run from each other, but we cannot escape each other. We will only attain freedom if we learn to appreciate what is different, and muster the courage to discover what is fundamentally the same. America’s diversity offers so much richness and opportunity. Take a chance, won’t you? Knock down the fences, which divide. Tear apart the walls that imprison you. Reach out. Freedom lies just on the other side. We shall have liberty for all.” —Thurgood Marshall, Liberty Medal acceptance speech delivered July 4, 1992 Key Takeaways: n In order to prepare youth to thrive in a multiracial society, social science demonstrates the importance and value of increasing opportunities for youth from different racial and ethnic backgrounds to have sustained contact with one another. n Fostering cross-racial friendships, implementing cooperative learning strategies, and promoting supportive norms in schools and among peers are some of the factors that are likely to enhance the positive effects of contact. n Providing youth with opportunities to experience meaningful intergroup contact is especially important because children’s early life experiences can have long-term consequences for their developing intergroup attitudes and beliefs. It also helps to reduce anxiety about difference, builds capacity for empathy and caring about others, develops leadership competencies and plants seeds for social change. n To foster effective interracial contact in schools, ensure that policies and practices make integrated classrooms and high-quality intergroup contact easy to achieve, and prioritize racially integrated classrooms and high-quality intergroup contact within the processes of teaching and learning. | Research Brief No. 13 | National Coalition on School Diversity | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | hen we reflect on the value and meaning of
ch pmeleaucationstudent,sw’ ereopenrtcindskoaroutcores on standardized tests. Like numerous educators, community leaders, and policymakers across the country who seek to transform the educational experience of students, we hope that public education will prepare students to flourish as our next generation of citizens.1 As part of those lessons that may be deemed “essential to good citizenship,”2 we want students to learn how to navigate their social environments, to contribute positively as engaged members of their communities, and to live and work cooperatively with others in our increasingly complex and diverse society.3 These lessons have particular urgency amidst the current volatile and fragmented racial and political climate of the U.S.
But there is growing evidence that we are falling far short of these goals. While growing numbers of parents prefer diverse schools for their children – believing that racial diversity enhances learning environments4 and that navigating difference helps to prepare children for

FAQs

What does the research brief say about interracial contact for youth?

It argues that fostering sustained interracial contact is important for preparing youth to thrive in a multiracial society and supports positive social outcomes in schools.

Which school-based factors are likely to enhance the effects of contact?

The brief highlights cross-racial friendships, cooperative learning strategies, and supportive norms among schools and peers.

Why does the brief emphasize meaningful intergroup contact opportunities?

It states that early experiences shape developing intergroup attitudes and beliefs, help reduce anxiety about difference, and build empathy, caring, and leadership capabilities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Alex Sinclair