Arthur E. Wise, a longtime advocate for K-12 school improvement, reviews 50 years of efforts to promote equal educational opportunities for all children, describing the pros and cons of three main reform strategies: lawsuits focused on funding equity, which have had some success; the standards and accountability movement, which has not; and…

Thomas Hatch, Rachel Roegman, and David Allen draw on examples from three districts in New Jersey -- one of the most segregated states in the United States for Black and Latinx students -- to present a multidimensional approach to creating equitable learning experiences. This approach begins with a focus on instruction but also takes into account…

In 2010, Evanston Township High School in suburban Chicago, Illinois, dramatically changed its freshman year for incoming students. The school detracked freshman English, history, and biology courses for the vast majority of students, thus removing barriers for historically under-represented student groups and providing greater access and…

The Schools of Opportunity Project recognizes public high schools that employ research-based practices to close opportunity gaps. The commended schools illustrate how school quality can and should be measured by far more than just test scores. In doing so, they offer exemplars and a path forward for the nation's schools. The selection criteria for…

The only thing that more testing will tell us is what we already know: The schools that disadvantaged children attend are not being given the supports necessary to produce achievement gains. Students cannot be tested out of poverty, and while NCLB did take us a step forward by requiring schools to produce evidence that students were learning, it…

Public funding of private K-12 schooling through vouchers continues to be a contentious issue across the U.S., even though a solid majority of Americans continues to oppose them. The voucher plans run the risk of legal challenge for how they handle the rights of students with disabilities and whether they violate state constitutional provisions…

Can the nation's schools meet today's challenge of providing all students with the skills they will need to thrive in the rapidly changing economy and society of the 21st century? The authors point out in this article that a large percentage of children, overwhelmingly from low-income families, end their formal schooling without the…

After-school learning, summer learning, and family involvement in learning are major predictors of children's development, educational achievement, and school success. The United States will not achieve its national goals of equal educational opportunity without addressing the importance of and inequities in out-of-school learning opportunities.…

Critique of Arthur E. Wise's article, "The Constitutional Challenge to Inequities in School Finance, published in the November issue of "Phi Delta Kappan". (HT)

A survey of the participation of women in higher education administration programs at seven universities reveals that women constitute 45 percent of the enrollment and that their rate of placement has been high. However, due to less attractive employment opportunities and fewer scholarships, the future rate of participation is uncertain. (MJL)

Examines attitudes and practices concerning equal opportunities for women in education and work, and briefly compares the attitudes of readers of the British "Sunday Times" with the attitudes of Americans as expressed in the 1978 Gallup Poll. (IRT)

Equal opportunity is more attainable than universal scientific literacy. Society should instead invest in improved science education for the disadvantaged. Science is a difficult subject. Educators can arouse curiosity and awaken self-interest, but they cannot create lifelong learning by force-feeding a concentrated dose of science. (Contains 15…

This article abridges a talk presented last June 13 before the Wayne State University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, Detroit.

Israel faces the difficult task of integrating some half a million Israeli Arabs into the society. Distrust, resentment, and educational inequalities make this a monumental task. (Author/WD)