Reviews evidence on institutional, cultural, and family background variables linked to the academic achievement of Mexican American students in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Considers educational policy implications for Mexican Americans. Segregation of Mexican Americans exists at all levels of education but is particularly apparent…

Identifies some of the salient characteristics of American private schools. Examines possible effects that the status composition of the student body might have in influencing the educational opportunity structure. Raises questions about the educational and social equity of supporting private schools financially through school choice mechanisms…

Teacher employment patterns in metropolitan Chicago (Illinois) were studied using data from the Illinois State Board of Education. Findings show no signs of affirmative action in many of the region's rapidly growing school systems. In many of the metropolitan area's districts, there is a persistence of segregated employment patterns and the…

This 1994 report presents findings on Madison Metropolitan School District's dual system of education for White and African American students. Among the study's findings are the following: (1) African American dropouts outnumbered African American graduates; (2) students from low-income families scored higher on standard tests than African…

The public controversy surrounding recent government proposals for supporting private schools through tuition tax credits has prompted an interest in studying the impact of private schooling on racial segregation in education. This report examines the degree of black-white segregation in the Catholic schools in the Chicago and Cleveland…

Education's role in the Allensworth Colony (California) is examined between the colony's founding in 1908 and its decline in the early 1920s. Allensworth was established by African Americans as a model community. Implications of the Allensworth experience and Black opposition to a planned segregated polytechnic institute are discussed. (SLD)

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) provide a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of school segregation within the context of rapid demographic changes and key policy changes. This paper, the first of two reports, focuses on the dynamics of segregation, demographic changes, and implications for graduation rates in the Denver Public Schools. It…

This report responds to an Executive Order that charges the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans with improving the education of Hispanic Americans through the study of current educational conditions. The study includes an analysis of the current state of Hispanic American educational attainment and…

This paper describes the results of research examining the racial and socioeconomic segregation of public schools in two very different cities, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Houston (Texas). Factors that explain the degree of racial and economic segregation and the consequences of this segregation for student academic achievement were examined.…

This summary report examines ability grouping and its possible use for in-school segregation in the North Carolina public schools. The report describes the development of concerns among minority parents about the placement of minority children in special education and low-ability classes and the investigation into the issue by a forum of six…

A major school district in Philadelphia has been taken over, handed out and chopped up. The for-profit Edison schools opened in Philadelphia, just as Dallas had asked them to leave for a lack of measurable improvement in schools. Linda Darling-Hammond frames this article around what happened in Philadelphia because she feels that in some ways it…

A large central government providing numerous public services has long been a hallmark of Swedish society, which is also well-known for its pursuit of equality. Yet in the 1990s, Sweden moved away from this tradition in education, introducing market-oriented reforms that decentralized authority over public schools and encouraged competition…

The impact of the changing macroecological characteristics of cities on school performance is explored, and what can be done to reduce the achievement shortcomings among urban students from ethnic and language minority backgrounds is considered. The increase in residential segregation and thereby educational segregation in urban schools is as much…

Explores the use of ability grouping as a guideline for educational decision making. Ability grouping is often detrimental because it may foster segregation and poor teaching and lower students' self-esteem. Some studies demonstrate a slight positive effect on achievement. Higher ability students may derive more academic benefit from grouping.…

Because problems are studied more often than possibilities, educators tend to report bad news. Some studies that bring good news for education are reviewed in a call for more balanced reporting and the assertion that trust and confidence are the basics in effective education. (SLD)