This is the third in a series of briefs summarizing findings from the newest and most rigorous research related to racial and socioeconomic diversity in public schools. The studies on which this brief is based were published recently in three special issues of the peer-reviewed journal, "Teachers College Record," edited by Professors…

Few Americans understand the extent to which our nation is at risk. While our ability to compete on an international scale has diminished, our commitment to national defense and social programs and the costs for such programs have increased. The solution to this general predicament lies in the competition of ideas and ideals and in the…

A group of three conference papers, all dealing with ways to improve teacher effectiveness, is presented in this document. The first paper, "Improving Teacher Effectiveness" (Twyla Stewart), describes the efforts of the Center for Academic Interinstitutional Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles. The program focuses on…

A group of seven conference papers, all dealing with the role of testing and evaluation in the schools, is presented in this document. The papers are as follows: (1) "Framework for Effective Schools" (Eric Cooper), which identifies indicators of efficacy, quality, and equity; (2) "Quality Indicators for Monitoring Equity"…

The three conference papers presented in this document are grouped under the general heading, "Our National Dilemma," and deal with issues involved in providing disadvantaged students with a quality education. The first paper, "Building Quality Relationships" (James Comer), discusses the need to improve the quality of…

The conference reported in this document sought to do the following: (1) focus attention on the problem of underachieving minority students, and issue a call for action to improve their educational achievement; (2) promote dialogue on promising practices aimed at solving the problem; (3) foster collaboration on solutions among practitioners,…