A common argument leveled against charter schools is that they attract the most motivated and intelligent students from already struggling public schools. Marcus Winters seeks to examine this claim, known as "cream-skimming," by comparing the performance of New York City's (NYC) charter middle schools with a set of traditional selective…

Monolingual speakers of a national language continue to be the ideal figures on which national identities and senses of community are built. Yet this longstanding equation between nation and language is being contested by other ideologies. Alternatives are emerging from such disparate social locations as the European Union, now advocating for…

Examines explanations for Catholic schools succeeding in communities where public schools fail. Discusses the differences in student makeup positively influencing graduation rates in Catholic and private schools and how this might be altered if a voucher system is implemented. (GR)

Presents the results of a study of grading strategies that suggests that reluctant students can improve their work and develop a better attitude about school if less emphasis is placed on evaluative grading. (JC)

Compares parental behavior in two pairs of school districts to analyze the effects of choice on the formation of social capital in inner-city and suburban school districts: one with considerable choice and one without much choice. Findings indicate school choice stimulates parental involvement and can do this in both suburban and urban settings.…

Discusses public policy against using public funds to help minorities attend private religious schools and reviews private school funding as found in other countries (Denmark, Holland, and Australia). Discusses the influence of separation of church and state in justifying the exclusion of private schools for public funding as well as the…

This book addresses issues in the field of school desegregation and public policy and compares the desegregation effectiveness of voluntary plans with magnet schools to mandatory reassignment plans with magnet schools. Issues addressed include: (1) how school desegregation plans have evolved over time; (2) how one measures the desegregation…