Before trying to identify Federal policies which might help bring about constructive school desegregation in metropolitan areas, it is useful to discuss some of the considerations which make a metropolitan or regional approach to this problem desirable. This paper reviews the socioeconomic factors and the geographic and administrative feasibility of desegregation. It also examines the phenomena of magnetization and urban development and suburban resegregation as they relate to school desegregation. The authors present evidence to support the position that the metropolitan approach, as opposed to a central city only focus, renders much more potential for successful integration on all these levels. They suggest possible actions for the Federal government to take in order to facilitate the desegregation process. One Federal level proposal which encourages comprehensive, long range planning in this regard is the National Educational Opportunities Act of 1977. This Act would do more than previous legislation to effect coordinated city and suburban school desegregation and also give special attention to central city schools with a particularly high concentration of poverty. Legislation of this sort combined with related efforts to tie school planning to urban planning in general might begin to overcome the social forces which have ravaged our cities and are now beginning to engulf other parts of the metropolitan area as well. (Author/GC)