This article examines the emergence and persistence of curriculum differentiation in the comprehensive high school. We argue that curriculum differentiation has roots in Plato's Republic, where it is proposed that education (and later work, especially the work of ruling) should be distributed on the basis of ability. The concept of…

Americans in U.S. Society find themselves at a historical juncture where schools are implementing zero tolerance policies and--at the same time--also trying to promote tolerance, typically across differences such as race, class, culture, ability, and religion. Both these efforts respond to deeply held and serious concerns. But depending on the…