DESEGREGATION STATE

Desegregation State is the only book-length study of how postsecondary desegregation litigation and policy affected writing instruction and assessment in US colleges. It shows how desegregation enforcement promoted and shaped writing programs by presenting literacy remediation and testing as critical to desegregation efforts in southern and border states. This history details the profound influence of desegregation—and resistance to desegregation—on the ways that writing is taught and assessed in colleges today.

Format: Paperback
Length: 222 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2022
Publisher: COLORADO & UTAH STATE UNI PRES

Desegregation State is a groundbreaking book that delves into the profound ways that postsecondary desegregation litigation and policy have impacted writing instruction and assessment in US colleges. Spanning from 1970 to 1988, this comprehensive study offers a detailed history of federal enforcement of higher education desegregation and its profound effects on writing programs.

The book focuses on the University System of Georgia and two of its public colleges in Savannah, one historically segregated as a white college and the other historically Black. Through meticulous research, Annie S. Mendenhall showcases how desegregation enforcement played a pivotal role in promoting and shaping writing programs. She emphasizes the significance of literacy remediation and testing as critical components of desegregation efforts in southern and border states.

Formerly segregated state university systems developed desegregation plans that granted them greater control over admissions, remediation, and retention policies. These plans introduced literacy requirements, encompassing admissions and graduation tests, remedial classes, writing centers, and writing across the curriculum programs. These measures reshaped the landscape of college writing instruction, often at the expense of the demands of Black students, civil rights activists, and historically Black colleges and universities for significant reforms to university systems.

Desegregation State provides valuable insights into the profound influence of desegregation on the teaching and assessment of writing in colleges today. It serves as a disciplinary history for writing program administrators (WPAs) and writing teachers, shedding light on the ways in which racism manifests in writing assessment and writing programs. Mendenhall also incorporates emerging scholarship on the racialization of institutions, highlighting why writing studies must pay closer attention to how writing programs have institutionalized racist literacy ideologies through discussions about student placement, ind.

In conclusion, Desegregation State is a indispensable resource for scholars, educators, and policymakers interested in understanding the complex dynamics of postsecondary desegregation and its impact on writing instruction and assessment. Through its detailed analysis and insightful perspectives, the book offers valuable insights into the ongoing struggle for equity and diversity in higher education writing programs.

ISBN-13: 9781646422029