Class, culture, and race have influenced the educational experiences of children for centuries, and they are gaining importance in the increasingly diverse American society of today. This reference work explores the critical importance of these issues to American education and uses historical, anthropological, sociological, and theoretical perspectives to provide an overview. The following chapters explore the issues of race, culture, and class in American education: (1) "From Estate to Social Class: A Historical Perspective and Definition" (Stanley William Rothstein); (2) "The Governance of Local Schools as Influenced by Social Class, Race, and Ethnicity" (Frank W. Lutz and Laurance Iannaccone); (3) "The Chicano Educational Experience: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives" (Daniel Solorzano); (4) "Class, Race, and Science Education" (David Eli Drew); (5) "Diversity and the Institutional Transformation of Public Education" (Joseph G. Weeres and John Rivera); (6) "The Concept of Culture" (Walter F. Beckman); (7) "Italian and Mexican Responses to Schooling: Assimilation or Resistance?" (Richard J. Alternbaugh); (8) "Emerging Educational Structures: The Impact on Leadership 'Culture'" (Andrew E. Dubin); (9) "Race Relations and Segregation in the United States" (Walter F. Beckman); (10) "Race, Class, and the Educational Marginalization of African Americans: A Historical Perspective" (Mougo Nyaggah and Wacira Gethaiga); (11) "Serving Asian American Children in School: An Ecological Perspective" (Mikong Kim-Goh); (12) "Effective Teacher Preparation for Diverse Student Populations: What Works Best?" (Carmen Zuniga-Hill and Carol Barnes); (13) "Ecocultural Context, Cultural Activity, and Emergent Literacy: Sources of Variation in Home Literacy Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Children" (Leslie Reese, and others); and (14) "Culture, Class, and Race: Three Variables of Decision Making in Schools" (Lenore M. Parker). Contains a selected bibliography of 145 references. (SLD)