Excellence Through Equity is an inspiring look at how real-world educators are creating schools where all students are able to thrive. In these schools, educators understand that equity is not about treating all children the same. They are deeply committed to ensuring that each student receives what he or she individually needs to develop their full potential and succeed. To help educators with what can at times be a difficult and challenging journey, Blankstein and Noguera frame the book with five guiding principles of Courageous Leadership: Getting to your core. Making organizational meaning. Ensuring constancy and consistency of purpose. Facing the facts and your fears. Building sustainable relationships. They further emphasize that the practices are grounded in three important areas of research that are too often disregarded: (1) child development, (2) neuroscience, and (3) environmental influences on child development and learning. You'll hear from Carol Corbett Burris, Michael Fullan, Marcus J. Newsome, Paul Reville, Susan Szachowicz, and other bold practitioners and visionary thinkers who share compelling and actionable ideas, strategies, and experiences for closing the achievement gap in your classrooms and school. Ensuring that all students receive an education that cultivates their talents and potential is in all our common interest. As Andy Hargreaves writes in the coda: ""The opportunity for all Americans is to articulate and believe in an inspiring vision of educational change that is about what the next generation of America and Americans should become, not about a target or ranking that the nation should attain."" From the Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu: ""Letting go of a system of winners and losers in favor of what is proposed in this book is a courageous leap forward that we all must take together. Let this bold, practical book be a guide; and may you travel into this new exciting vista, in which every child can succeed.

The failure of current policy to address important quality of life issues for urban youth remains a substantial barrier to civic participation, educational equity, and healthy adulthood. This volume brings together the work of leading urban youth scholars to highlight the detrimental impact of zero tolerance policies on young peoplea (TM)s educational experience and well being. Inspired by the conviction that urban youth have the right to more equitable educational and social resources and political representation, Beyond Resistance! offers new insights into how to increase the effectiveness of youth development and education programs, and how to create responsive youth policies at the local, state, and federal level.

Latino men and boys in the United States are confronted with a wide variety of hardships that are not easily explained or understood. They are populating prisons, dropping out of high school, and are becoming overrepresented in the service industry at alarming degrees. Young Latino men, especially, have among the lowest wages earned in the country, a rapidly growing rate of HIV/AIDS, and one of the highest mortality rates due to homicide. Although there has been growing interest in the status of men in American society, there is a glaring lack of research and scholarly work available on Latino men and boys.

This groundbreaking interdisciplinary volume, edited by renowned scholars Pedro Noguera, A?da Hurtado and Edward Fergus addresses the dearth of scholarship and information about Latino men and boys to further our understanding of the unique challenges and obstacles that they confront during this historical moment. The contributors represent a cross section of disciplines from health, criminal justice, education, literature, psychology, economics, labor, sociology and more. By drawing attention to the sweeping issues facing this segment of the population, this volume offers research and policy a set of principles and overarching guidelines for decreasing the invisibility and thus the disenfranchisement of Latino men and boys.

Latino men and boys in the United States are confronted with a wide variety of hardships that are not easily explained or understood. They are populating prisons, dropping out of high school, and are becoming overrepresented in the service industry at alarming degrees. Young Latino men, especially, have among the lowest wages earned in the country, a rapidly growing rate of HIV/AIDS, and one of the highest mortality rates due to homicide. Although there has been growing interest in the status of men in American society, there is a glaring lack of research and scholarly work available on Latino men and boys.

This groundbreaking interdisciplinary volume, edited by renowned scholars Pedro Noguera, A?da Hurtado and Edward Fergus addresses the dearth of scholarship and information about Latino men and boys to further our understanding of the unique challenges and obstacles that they confront during this historical moment. The contributors represent a cross section of disciplines from health, criminal justice, education, literature, psychology, economics, labor, sociology and more. By drawing attention to the sweeping issues facing this segment of the population, this volume offers research and policy a set of principles and overarching guidelines for decreasing the invisibility and thus the disenfranchisement of Latino men and boys.

Over the past decade, urban communities have experienced unprecedented social, economic, and political transformation. Globalization and de-industrialization have contributed to the exodus of jobs, produced higher levels of inequality, and consequent, furthered marginalization of the urban poor. Urban youth have been particularly affected by this transformation. The failure of urban school districts and the lack of jobs, health services and effective prevention and intervention programs have placed large numbers of low-income urban youth at risk. In the absence of policies and institutions that respond to the needs of youth, a climate of fear focused particularly on responding to fears of youth crime has also shaped a national consciousness about urban communities and the youth within them.
"Urban Youth and Community" "Change" brings together work by leading scholars who study urban youth and who have a grounded knowledge of the issues they face. A commitment to social justice and equity is a unifying theme for this volume, and each of the authors examines to varying degrees how such values and commitments can be incorporated into public policy. The goal of this edited volume is to draw on the knowledge and expertise of these scholars from various academic disciplines and to share with policymakers and the general public insights into the impact of punitive/zero tolerance policies on young people's educational experience and well being. These chapters also offer new ideas about how to support youth placed at risk by deteriorating circumstances in urban areas and offers recommendations on how to create more humane and responsive youth policies at the local, state and federal level.

This powerful and timely analysis takes stock of race and education sixty years after the historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision. This volume examines education as one of the most visible markers for racial disparities in the US as well as one of its most visible frontiers for racial justice. Featuring original research, educators' insights, and perspectives from communities of color, it documents the complex impact of social/educational policy on social progress. Chapters on charter schools, curriculum content, performance measurement, and disproportionalities in special education referrals shed light on entrenched inequities that must be confronted. The book also makes it clear that leveling the playing field calls for not only better schools, but also addressing pervasive social problems such as poverty and housing segregation. Included in the coverage: School Policy is Housing Policy: Deconcentrating Disadvantage to Address the Achievement Gap. Charter Schooling, Race Politics, and an Appeal to History. The Data Quality Movement for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community: an unresolved civil rights issue. Critical Ethnic Studies in High School Classrooms: Academic Achievement via Social Action. Mexican American Educational Stagnation: The Role of Generational Status, Parental Narratives and Educator Mes sages. < Pinpointing crucial issues and opportunities for solutions, Race, Equity, and Education has immediate salience for educators and researchers studying the intersection of race and education.

Uncovers the roots and consequences of and offers solutions to the widespread alienation and disconnection that beset modern society Since the beginning of the 21st century, people have become increasingly disconnected from themselves, each other, and the world around them. A "crisis of connection" stemming from growing alienation, social isolation, and fragmentation characterizes modern society. The signs of this crisis of connection are everywhere, from decreasing levels of empathy and trust, to burgeoning cases of suicide, depression and loneliness. The astronomical rise in inequality around the world has contributed to the critical nature of this moment. To delve into the heart of the crisis, leading researchers and practitioners draw from the science of human connection to tell a five-part story about its roots, consequences, and solutions. In doing so, they reveal how we, in modern society, have been captive to a false story about who we are as human. This false narrative that takes individualism as a universal truth, has contributed to many of the problems that we currently face. The new story now emerging from across the human sciences underscores our social and emotional capacities and needs. The science also reveals the ways in which the privileging of the self over relationships and of individual success over the common good as well as the perpetuation of dehumanizing stereotypes have led to a crisis of connection that is now widespread. Finally, the practitioners in the volume present concrete solutions that show ways we can create a more just and humane world. In a time of social distancing and enforced isolation, it is more important than ever to find ways to bridge the gaps among individuals and communities. The Crisis of Connection illuminates concrete pathways to enhancing our awareness of our common humanity, and offers important steps to coming together in unity, even across distances.

Uncovers the roots and consequences of and offers solutions to the widespread alienation and disconnection that beset modern society Since the beginning of the 21st century, people have become increasingly disconnected from themselves, each other, and the world around them. A "crisis of connection" stemming from growing alienation, social isolation, and fragmentation characterizes modern society. The signs of this crisis of connection are everywhere, from decreasing levels of empathy and trust, to burgeoning cases of suicide, depression and loneliness. The astronomical rise in inequality around the world has contributed to the critical nature of this moment. To delve into the heart of the crisis, leading researchers and practitioners draw from the science of human connection to tell a five-part story about its roots, consequences, and solutions. In doing so, they reveal how we, in modern society, have been captive to a false story about who we are as human. This false narrative that takes individualism as a universal truth, has contributed to many of the problems that we currently face. The new story now emerging from across the human sciences underscores our social and emotional capacities and needs. The science also reveals the ways in which the privileging of the self over relationships and of individual success over the common good as well as the perpetuation of dehumanizing stereotypes have led to a crisis of connection that is now widespread. Finally, the practitioners in the volume present concrete solutions that show ways we can create a more just and humane world. In a time of social distancing and enforced isolation, it is more important than ever to find ways to bridge the gaps among individuals and communities. The Crisis of Connection illuminates concrete pathways to enhancing our awareness of our common humanity, and offers important steps to coming together in unity, even across distances.

This powerful and timely analysis takes stock of race and education sixty years after the historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision. This volume examines education as one of the most visible markers for racial disparities in the US as well as one of its most visible frontiers for racial justice. Featuring original research, educators' insights, and perspectives from communities of color, it documents the complex impact of social/educational policy on social progress. Chapters on charter schools, curriculum content, performance measurement, and disproportionalities in special education referrals shed light on entrenched inequities that must be confronted. The book also makes it clear that leveling the playing field calls for not only better schools, but also addressing pervasive social problems such as poverty and housing segregation. Included in the coverage: School Policy is Housing Policy: Deconcentrating Disadvantage to Address the Achievement Gap. Charter Schooling, Race Politics, and an Appeal to History. The Data Quality Movement for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community: an unresolved civil rights issue. Critical Ethnic Studies in High School Classrooms: Academic Achievement via Social Action. Mexican American Educational Stagnation: The Role of Generational Status, Parental Narratives and Educator Mes sages. < Pinpointing crucial issues and opportunities for solutions, Race, Equity, and Education has immediate salience for educators and researchers studying the intersection of race and education.

As a group, Black and Latino boys face persistent and devastating disparities in achievement when compared to their White counterparts: they are more likely to obtain low test scores and grades, be categorised as learning disabled, be absent from honours and gifted programmes, and be overrepresented among students who are suspended and expelled from school. They are also less likely to enroll in colege and more likely to drop out. Put simply, they are among the most vulnerable populations in our schools. Schooling for Resilience investigates how seven newly formed schools, created specifically to serve boys of colour, set out to address the broad array of academic and social problems faced by Black and Latino boys. Drawing on student and teacher surveys, focus groups, interviews, and classroom observations, the authors investigate how these schools were developed, what practises they employed, and how their students responded academically and socially. In particular, they focus on the theory of action that informed each school's approach to educating Black and Latino boys and explore how choices about school structure and culture shaped students' development and achievement. In doing so, the authors identify educational strategies that all schools can learn from. This thoughtful, passionately argued volume promises to influence efforts to improve the achievement and life outcomes of Black and Latino boys for years to come.

""Unless we believe that those who have more are inherently superior to those who have less, we should be troubled by the fact that patterns of achievement are often fairly predictable, particularly with respect to students' race and class."" In Creating the Opportunity to Learn, Wade Boykin and Pedro Noguera help navigate the turbid waters of evidence-based methodologies and chart a course toward closing (and eliminating) the academic achievement gap. Turning a critical eye to current and recent research, the authors present a comprehensive view of the achievement gap and advocate for strategies that contribute to the success of all children. Boykin and Noguera maintain that it is possible to close the achievement gap by abandoning failed strategies, learning from successful schools, and simply doing more of what the research shows is most effective. Success is founded on equity, but equity involves more than simply ensuring students have equal access to education; equity also entails a focus on outcomes and results. If we want to bring about significant improvements in those outcomes, we have to do more to address the context in which learning takes place. In short, we must create schools where a child's race or class is no longer a predictor for how well he or she might perform.

As a group, Black and Latino boys face persistent and devastating disparities in achievement when compared to their White counterparts: they are more likely to obtain low test scores and grades, be categorised as learning disabled, be absent from honours and gifted programmes, and be overrepresented among students who are suspended and expelled from school. They are also less likely to enroll in colege and more likely to drop out. Put simply, they are among the most vulnerable populations in our schools. Schooling for Resilience investigates how seven newly formed schools, created specifically to serve boys of colour, set out to address the broad array of academic and social problems faced by Black and Latino boys. Drawing on student and teacher surveys, focus groups, interviews, and classroom observations, the authors investigate how these schools were developed, what practises they employed, and how their students responded academically and socially. In particular, they focus on the theory of action that informed each school's approach to educating Black and Latino boys and explore how choices about school structure and culture shaped students' development and achievement. In doing so, the authors identify educational strategies that all schools can learn from. This thoughtful, passionately argued volume promises to influence efforts to improve the achievement and life outcomes of Black and Latino boys for years to come.

Jose Vilson writes about race, class, and education through stories from the classroom and researched essays. His rise from rookie math teacher to prominent teacher leader takes a twist when he takes on education reform through his now-blocked eponymous blog, TheJoseVilson.com. He calls for the reclaiming of the education profession while seeking social justice. Jose Vilson is a middle school math educator for in the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. He writes for Edutopia, GOOD, and TransformED / Future of Teaching, and his work has appeared in Education Week, CNN.com, Huffington Post, and El Diario / La Prensa.

How It's Being Done offers much-needed help to educators, providing detailed accounts of the ways in which unexpected schools-those with high-poverty and high-minority student populations-have dramatically boosted student achievement and diminished (and often eliminated) achievement gaps. How It's Being Done builds on Karin Chenoweth's widely hailed earlier volume, It's Being Done, providing specific information about how such schools have exceeded expectations and met with unprecedented levels of success.

Written by activist educators, Worth Striking For speaks to teachers and teachers-to-be about the drastic changes in the landscape of public education in recent decades, and focuses on what they need to know about the debates and complex issues of reform affecting their lives and professions. The book identifies the most significant shifts in education policy, including how policy has helped or hindered the broader educational purposes of schools. Using the 2012 Chicago teachers strike as a framing device, the authors demonstrate how each of the policy areas addressed is critically important to teachers' lives and work. Each chapter describes one of the Chicago teachers' demands, and then explores a related policy arena through the lens of an associated philosophical purpose of education. The text features individually authored vignettes that juxtapose the authors' personal experiences with the issues, bringing policy and policy activism to life. This hopeful book will inspire and empower teachers to take action in their schools, communities, districts, and states.

Written by activist educators, Worth Striking For speaks to teachers and teachers-to-be about the drastic changes in the landscape of public education in recent decades, and focuses on what they need to know about the debates and complex issues of reform affecting their lives and professions. The book identifies the most significant shifts in education policy, including how policy has helped or hindered the broader educational purposes of schools. Using the 2012 Chicago teachers strike as a framing device, the authors demonstrate how each of the policy areas addressed is critically important to teachers' lives and work. Each chapter describes one of the Chicago teachers' demands, and then explores a related policy arena through the lens of an associated philosophical purpose of education. The text features individually authored vignettes that juxtapose the authors' personal experiences with the issues, bringing policy and policy activism to life. This hopeful book will inspire and empower teachers to take action in their schools, communities, districts, and states.

Starting Up is a collection of first-person accounts by some of the best-known founders of new schools in America. Providing the kind of knowledge that only experience can teach, it is an invaluable resource for anyone in the process of or thinking about opening a new school, as well as those interested in the politics of today's era of new school development. The authors share how they worked to make their educational aspirations a reality while wrestling with social and economic obstacles, such as the distressed state of the communities in which these schools operated and the constant competition for resources. Starting Up tells real stories that capture the rich sense of possibility that currently exists for urban education.