In "Rethinking Education and Poverty," William G. Tierney brings together scholars from around the world to examine the complex relationship between poverty and education in the twenty first century. International in scope, this book assembles the best contemporary thinking about how education can mediate class and improve the lives of marginalized individuals. In remarkably nuanced ways, this volume examines education's role as both a possible factor in perpetuating--and a tool for alleviating--entrenched poverty. Education has long been seen as a way out of poverty. Some critics, however, argue that educational systems mask inequality and perpetuate cycles of poverty and wealth; others believe that the innate resilience or intellectual ability of impoverished students is what allows those individuals to succeed. Rethinking Education and Poverty grapples in turn with the ramifications of each possibility. Throughout these compelling, far reaching, and provocative essays, the contributors seek to better understand how local efforts to reduce poverty through education interact--or fail to interact--with international assessment efforts. They take a broad historical view, examining social, economic, and educational polices from the post-World War II period to the end of the Cold War and beyond. Although there is no simple solution to inequality, this book makes clear that education offers numerous exciting possibilities for progress. The following chapters are included: (1) Education's Role in the Elimination of Poverty in the Twenty-First Century (William G. Tierney); (2) Educating the Children of the Poor: A Paradoxical Global Movement (Fernando M. Reimers); (3) Student Academic Achievement and Poverty (Jamal Abedi); (4) American Indian Education and Poverty: A Historical Overview and Current Assessment (C. Matthew Snipp); (5) Poverty in Education and the Social Sciences: Three Definitions (Zeus Leonardo); (6) Poverty, Place, and Biological Proficiency: A Comparative Statewide Analysis (Mark C. Hogrebe and William F. Tate, IV); (7) Social Theory, Evidence, and Activism: Challenging Education Inequality in an Unequal Society (Jeannie Oakes); (8) The Challenge of College Readiness (William G. Tierney); (9) Poverty, Privilege, and the Intensification of Inequalities in the Postsecondary Admissions Process (Lois Weis, Kristin Cipollone, and Amy E. Stich); (10) Museums, Theaters, and Youth Orchestras: Advancing Creative Arts and Sciences within Underresourced Communities (Shirley Brice Heath); (11) Education, Poverty, and East Asian Development Miracles (Simon Marginson); and (12) Conclusion: Education, Poverty, and Public Policy (Edward P. St. John and Phillip J. Bowman).