This report synthesizes the discussions and findings of a series of Congressional hearings on the status of desegregation and methods of implementation in elementary and secondary public schools. The report focuses on the legal framework of school desegregation, emphasizing that court ordered desegregation is called for only when segregation is shown to have been deliberate and when voluntary methods have failed; the importance of local leadership and community involvement in the desegregation process; the impact of desegregation on educational programs, academic achievement (of majority and minority group students), educational patterns, employment, and white flight; remedies to correct the effects of segregation such as busing, pupil reassignment, pairing and clustering of schools, magnet schools, and voluntary methods; Federal legislation and financial support; proposed Constitutional amendments concerning desegregation; and strategies for effective desegregation plans. The report concludes that desegregation, if effectively implemented, provides benefits not only to classrooms and schools but also to communities. It is emphasized that while desegregation has increased demands on schools and communities, the benefits outweigh the costs. The report also includes supplemental views of some subcommittee members who argue against forced busing and prefer to encourage other methods of desegregation. (Author/MJL)