Learning From The Federal Market Based Reforms

Over the past twenty years, educational policy has been characterized by top?down, market?focused policies combined with a push toward privatization and school choice. The new Every Student Succeeds Act continues along this path, though with decision?making authority now shifted toward the states. These market?based reforms have often been touted as the most promising response to the challenges of poverty and educational disenfranchisement. But has this approach been successful? Has learning improved? Have historically low?scoring schools “turned around” or have the reforms had little effect? Have these narrow conceptions of schooling harmed the civic and social purposes of education in a democracy? This book presents the evidence. Drawing on the work of the nation’s most prominent researchers, the book explores the major elements of these reforms, as well as the social, political, and educational contexts in which they take place. It examines the evidence supporting the most common school improvement strategies: school choice; reconstitutions, or massive personnel changes; and school closures. From there, it presents the research findings cutting across these strategies by addressing the evidence on test score trends, teacher evaluation, “miracle” schools, the Common Core State Standards, school choice, the newly emerging school improvement industry, and re?segregation, among others. The weight of the evidence indisputably shows little success and no promise for these reforms. Thus, the authors counsel strongly against continuing these failed policies. The book concludes with a review of more promising avenues for educational reform, including the necessity of broader societal investments for combatting poverty and adverse social conditions. While schools cannot single?handedly overcome societal inequalities, important work can take place within the public school system, with evidence?based interventions such as early childhood education, detracking, adequate funding and full?service community schools—all intended to renew our nation’s commitment to democracy and equal educational opportunity.

Discusses how school choice, misapplied standards of accountability, the No Child Left Behind mandate, and the use of a corporate model have all led to a decline in public education and presents arguments for a return to strong neighborhood schools and quality teaching.

Through firsthand accounts of classroom practices, this new book ties 130 years of progressive education to social justice work. Based on their commitments to the principle of the equal moral worth of all people, progressive teachers have challenged the obstacles of schooling that prevent some people from participating as full partners in social life in and out of the classroom and have constructed classroom and social arrangements that enable all to participate as peers in the decisions that influence their lives. Progressive reading education has been and remains key to these ties, commitments, challenges, and constructions. The three goals in this book are to show that there are viable and worthy alternatives to the current version of "doing school"; to provide evidence of how progressive teachers have accommodated expanding notions of social justice across time, taking up issues of economic distribution of resources during the first half of the 20th century, adding the cultural recognition of the civil rights of more groups during the second half, and now, grappling with political representation of groups and individuals as national boundaries become porous; and to build coalitions around social justice work among advocates of differing, but complementary, theories and practices of literacy work. In progressive classrooms from Harlem to Los Angeles and Milwaukee to Fairhope, Alabama, students have used reading in order to make sense of and sense in changing times, working across economic, cultural, and political dimensions of social justice. Over 100 teacher stories invite readers to join the struggle to continue the pursuit of a just democracy in America.

A critical resource for literacy educators and graduate students, this volume investigates key moments in the development of literacy education and provides a much-needed overview of where, when, and how efforts to shape education influence literacy teaching, as well as what literacy educators can do to advocate for themselves, their students, and the profession. Organized around three themes—history, effects, and advocacy—this volume offers a nuanced exploration of the complex issues surrounding literacy education, and suggests coherent approaches to evaluating and understanding the various policies and reform efforts, and their impacts on literacy teaching and learning. Chapter authors draw on a variety of research– and practice-based perspectives to explore the impact of reform on literacy and literacy education, and examine the evolution of literacy education, providing much-needed historical context for shifts in policies and models in the field.

Cochran-Smith and her research team argue that it is time for teacher educators to reclaim accountability. They critique major accountability initiatives, exposing the lack of evidence behind these policies and the negative impact they have on teacher education. They also offer an achievable alternative based on a commitment to equity and democracy.

This volume traces the socialization process, professional development, career paths, and theory and research of contemporary pioneers in education and psychology. This volume contains interviews with leading scholars who are at the vanguard of teaching and learning. They shared how their childhood development influenced their theoretical paths and research endeavors and revealed their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences that made them who they are today. These scholars responded to questions pertaining to their childhood, initial interest in education and psychology, role models, research interests and major findings, future directions of their research, educational implications derived from their research, and perception of their legacy. They are real people who have had experiences like anybody else, but found homes and teachers who supported them. While in college, they found educators who mentored them. Readers will find that this volume offers them an opportunity to learn the background of contemporary pioneers in education and psychology, provides valuable sources where they can learn about how major theories developed and where they are moving, and reveals the personal anecdotes that influenced the conceptualization of contemporary theories and research. Educators and students will find that this book provides hope and a rejuvenated enthusiasm about the status of education and psychology and that they too can be leaders in their own ways.

The National Education Policy Center’s Schools of Opportunity project was designed to highlight public high schools that are using research-based practices for closing opportunity gaps in student learning. The project recognizes schools that are working to address the needs of all students, regardless of their zip codes or their school’s average test scores. By embracing a shift away from the nation’s myopic focus on standardized test scores, the program’s focus is on inputs—access to equitable, exemplary policies and practices that students experience every school day—not outcomes. This follows from research findings that schools alone cannot fix the problems created by the stark inequalities in our society. Instead, schools should be expected to do their part by responding to inequities with research-based practices. The book features case studies of schools that demonstrate key criteria that other schools can emulate, such as an inclusive school climate, support for language-minority students, performance-based assessment, teacher professionalism, a commitment to detracking, and supports for students in need. Schools of Opportunity builds an argument for shifting the way that excellent public high schools are recognized and built. Book Features: Provides accounts of school reform, jointly told by researcherÐpractitioner teams, connecting current research with successful efforts of educators to create outstanding learning environments.Brings together the voices of principals and school leaders who share stories of how their work has unfolded in their school, district, and state contexts. Identifies the school leadership and teacher practices that close opportunity gaps for student learning, and what it takes to implement them. Contributors: Dwane Chapelle, Janet Eckerson, Lourenco Garcia, Matt Garcia, Kristen Goessling, Kimberly Grayson, Jill Gurtner, Ted Hamann, Ann Ishimaru, Mark Larson, Julie Mead, John Murphy, Jeannie Oakes, Jeff Palladino, Derek Pierce, Jenifer Rayne, Kellie Rolstad, Lorrie Shepard, Kate Somerville, Michelle Valladares, Kathryn Wiley

On Class, Race, and Educational Reform provokes new dialogue between Marxists, critical race theory scholars, and other race-inspired educational theorists with the aim of countering racism and class inequalities. The book opens with a lead chapter by Howard Ryan, a doctoral student with a background in teaching and labor organizing, that substantively engages questions of class, race, and educational reform. In response to the opening chapter, educational theorists from Germany, South Africa, the UK, and the USA, provide insightful and penetrating responses highlighting the differences and similarities in perspectives. The responses show how educators can overcome theoretical differences to create international collaborations and educational campaigns of solidarity that counter the treacherous impact of racism and class inequalities in the classroom and beyond. The book includes a Foreword by Stephen Brookfield (University of St Thomas, USA) and an Afterword by Cheryl Matias (University of Kentucky, USA).