This analysis compares student test scores before and after school busing in New Castle County, Delaware, in an attempt to see if busing to achieve racial balance reduces the achievement gap between black and white students. School authorities pre-tested students with the California Achievement Test (CAT) in 1978-79, the first year of busing, and used that as the basis for subsequent comparison. Since CAT scores (though not broken down by race) have risen each year, school authorities and the media have claimed that desegregation is working. Independent analysis of the few available statistics, however, presents a different picture. With pre- and post-busing scores made relative to a statewide average (percentage) of 100, a significant comparison is possible despite changes in the types of test administered and their initial mathematical presentation. Pre-busing test scores were not compiled by race. Nevertheless, the very racial imbalance among the districts involved in the pre-busing years enables a significant before and after comparison. Tables show the official 1981-82 test scores for all grades and the derived scores by race for the grades tested in the pre-busing years (grades 1, 4, and 8). A comparison of the two shows an increased gap between white and black scores, leading to the conclusion that forced busing in New Castle County has failed insofar as achievement is concerned. (CMG)