An Historical Analysis of the Chicago Public Schools Desegregation Consent Decree (1980 - 2006): Establishing Its Relationship with the Brown v. Board Case of 1954 and the Implications of Its Implementation on Educational Leadership

This study provides an historical analysis of the Chicago Public School Desegregation Consent Decree, while illustrating its relationship with the Brown v. Board of 1954. It provides and analysis of the mission and objectives of all three versions of the Consent Decree which include: The Original Consent Decree 1980, The Modified Consent Decree 2004, and The Second Amended Decree 2006. The study also provides an account of the Brown v. Board case of 1954, defining the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the conduits between the landmark case and the Chicago Public School Desegregation Consent Decree. The dissertation answers five questions; the discriminatory practices responsible for the Consent Decrees origin, the goals established within the Consent Decree, the strategies used to implement the Consent Decree's goals, the supports and obstacles that effected the implementation of the Consent Decree, and the effect of the Consent Decree's implementation on current and future leaders. The Chicago Public Schools Policy Manual, official reports of the proceedings of the Board of Education of the City of Chicago, and transcripts from the signing of the Original, Modified, and Second Amended versions of the Consent Decree served as valuable primary resources to support this study. Court transcripts from the Brown v. Board court case assisted in establishing the relationship between the landmark case and the Chicago Public School Desegregation Consent Decree.