The author was startled by the carelessness and selectivity of Robert Slavin's comments, which give his words the ring of a promotional release rather than of intellectual reflection. He agrees that Slavin is accurate in saying that the scores on reading tests at P.S. 65 in the South Bronx improved during a period in which, among a number of other…

An elementary school's dramatic gains in achievement test scores are attributed to four steps: realization that a problem existed; arrival at a consensus regarding the purpose of schooling; development of a plan of action; and implementation of six improvement strategies through teamwork, with principal, teacher, and parent playing clearly…