A COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF GRAND RAPIDS TO INVESTIGATE RACIAL BALANCE AND EDUCATIONAL QUALITY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. COMMITTEE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT RACIAL IMBALANCE EXISTED AND HAD INCREASED SINCE 1950. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND IN TEACHER QUALITY IN THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, BUT NONWHITE TEACHERS WERE ASSIGNED PRIMARILY TO SCHOOLS WITH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF NONWHITE STUDENTS. DIFFERENCES IN FACILITIES DID NOT SEEM TO BE A FUNCTION OF SEGREGATION, AND THE NEED FOR AND AVAILABILITY OF COMPENSATORY EDUCATION WERE NOT LIMITED TO NEGRO STUDENTS. THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN PROMOTING OPEN HOUSING, IN PUBLICIZING THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY AND STATING ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENDING SCHOOL SEGREGATION, AND IN ADVANCING COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE REPORT. THE BOARD SHOULD INITIATE SUCH ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AS INTERSCHOOL PROJECTS, REZONING, HUMAN RELATIONS UNITS FOR ALL FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS, AND OPEN ENROLLMENT. IN ADDITION, COMPENSATORY EDUCATION PROGRAMS SHOULD BE "DEVELOPMENTAL" INSTEAD OF "REMEDIAL," PUPIL-TEACHER RATIOS SHOULD BE LOWER, AND FREE SUMMER SCHOOLS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS INVOLVE INSTRUCTIONAL CHANGES, IMPROVING THE RACIAL BALANCE OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL, AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS. (NH)