As new standards for students are taking effect, large disparities continue to exist in the educational opportunities available to rich and poor students in most states. These disparities are especially pronounced in California, where thousands of students attend school in dilapidated buildings, without textbooks, materials, or qualified teachers.…

The article provides an abridged version of a report prepared for the lawsuit, Williams v. State of California. The report first examines the achievement gap for English learners in California. Second, it reviews evidence in seven areas in which these students receive a substantially inequitable education vis--vis their English-speaking peers,…

The author examines the debate between John Dewey and the Social Efficiency philosophers in the early 1900's over vocational education to show that tensions today over that issue have antecedents dating from the beginning of the century. (MJB)

Discusses the educational philosophy of Horace Mann and his contributions to educational development, while providing a thorough insight into Mann's mental attitudes. (RK)

Research on national systems of education helps explain the U.S. pattern of schooling. Three interrelated factors continue to shape the present transformation of U.S. higher education: the centrality of status competition, the lack of centralized political authority over schooling, and the loose connection between education and the economy. (SM)

Analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of three major approaches to U.S. teacher education reform (the professionalization, deregulation, and social justice agendas), noting that although each has contributed to improving teacher education in order to lessen the achievement gap, each has certain weaknesses that undermine this goal. There are also…

Research on requests to transfer to magnet schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, suggests that racial factors play a strong role in school choice. The paper argues that unfettered choice still has the potential to exacerbate racial separation, even in relatively liberal and progressive settings like Montgomery County. (SM)

In this article, the authors use data from interviews and observations in four urban elementary schools -- two high-performing and two probation schools -- to examine how schools respond to high-stakes accountability policies. The authors show that school responses to high-stakes accountability depend on the schools' accountability status. In…

Historical accounts of advocacy for equality in educational facilities and resources for Blacks during de jure segregation in the South have generally minimized, or ignored, the role of Black educators. This article challenges the omission of Black educators in the historical portrait by providing a historical analysis of four periods of teacher…

Background: This longitudinal study examines the long-term effects on the achievement of students at a diverse suburban high school after all students were given accelerated mathematics in a detracked middle school as well as ninth-grade "high-track" curriculum in all subjects in heterogeneously grouped classes. Despite considerable…

Summarizes the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to implement the mandate of "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas" and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, examining traditional tools used in enforcing civil rights laws and reviewing new strategies to promote high quality education, equal educational opportunity, and diversity.…

"Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas" called the United States to a new level of moral consciousness. Current efforts to denigrate "Brown" as a failure overlook its effect as a social catalyst for movement toward equality. Six visions of "Brown" examine its contemporary meaning (triumph, aspiration,…

Book review discusses Howard Gardner's belief that schools typically fail in their most important missions, and accurate diagnosis is necessary for more effective education. Gardner recommends educating disciplinary experts who can help students integrate prescholastic and scholastic ways of knowing. A response by Gardner is included. (SM)

Consistent with the Williams v. California suit, our focus in this article is on educational equity, particularly the interface between equity and school organization. We concentrate on two structural issues, school size and school overcrowding, and one specific school structure, schools-within-schools. We organize the article as an interpretive…

In an attempt to investigate factors surrounding educational performance among different ethnic and racial groups, several areas are examined: (1) segregation; (2) performance levels and intelligence quotient variables among various ethnic groups; (3) intergroup differences among segregated and nonsegregated groups; (4) socioeconomic variables;…