With this book, teachers will discover how they can strike a balance between preparing their students for state tests and teaching them the lasting thinking, reading and writing skills that they will need to be successful in college and the business world. Combining theory-supported and student-tested practices, Urbanski offers readers a road-map to implementing an effective workshop-based curriculum in High School English.

At Rosa Parks, a middle school in a crimeridden neighborhood, students are advised to "do as they are told" and they will succeed. Unfortunately, "doing what they are told" often translates into repeating information givento them by the teacher, especially when it comes to writing. Meanwhile, students in an affluent neighborhood nearby are encouraged to be creative and think critically. This book examines the experience of one school'sresistance to the deficit model of education and how it represents the overall story of urban school reform. Highlighting the consequences of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in literacy, the author weighs the perspectives of teachers, National Writing Project consultants, and administrators. Her up-close analysis illuminates how rigid accountability structures shift power away from the teachers and administrators who know the students best. As such, it illustrates the complex nature of writing instruction in urban schools. Book Features: Provides valuable lessons learned that can be applied throughout the United States to improve urban schools. Offers rich portraits of students and teachers who resist the deficit identities placed on them by the dominant narrative of urban school reform. Presents a forum for those who are often silenced and talked about where they can speak for themselves.