A Reply

Last week in an Opinion Page article entitled "Busing: the Best Available Means," Brian Bohn charged that in my article, entitled "The Failure of Busing" (April 28) I incorrectly used a study by Jeffrey J. Leach in the Indians Law Review. In my article I stated, citing Leach's study, that "five prominent sociologists found that busing did not improve the academic performance of black children." Bohn charged that the statement "is a clear distortion of the facts presented in the article and a misuse of social science research." He goes on to say, "the findings of the ten studies cited are overwhelmingly positive in support of advantages to bused black students over their peers left in segregated schools."

Leach's article states:

In summary, of the ten cities which have studied the effects of busing on the achievement levels of school children, one shows moderate gains (Sacramento), two showed mixed results (Hartford/New Haven, Rochester), three are inconclusive (Buffalo, Evanston, White Plains) and four show either houses or no significant gains (Ann Arbor, Berkeley, Boston, Riversides). In every city studied busing failed to reduce the gap between black and white achievement. In fact most cities reported that the achievement gap had grown even larger after busing. Scholars who have reviewed the evidence, including Armor, Bell, Edmonds, Giazer, and St. John, have concluded that using had little if any effect on the academic achievement of either black or white children. Thus, the most recent sociological evidence falls to confirm a basic premise underlying the rationale for court-ordered busing, i.e. that it will positively effect the academic performance of minority children.

Leach's study does not support Mr. Bohn's claims. Clearly, I did not distort the facts presented by Leach, nor did I misuse social science research.