In this essay, Harry Brighouse and Gina Schouten outline four standards for judging whether to support the chartering of a new school within a given jurisdiction. The authors pose the following questions to a hypothetical school board member: Will the school increase equality of opportunity? Will it benefit the least-advantaged students in the…

In this reflective essay, Eric Booth utilizes his Habits of Mind for Creative Engagement to offer two suggestions for intensifying the impact of arts learning in schools. Booth's first suggestion redefines what artistic engagement really means and where it can contribute to creative learning. His second suggestion advocates for the use of…

Drawing from the educational experiences of fifty-four undocumented immigrant college students, Laura E. Enriquez seeks to uncover the concrete ways in which social capital is used to successfully navigate K-12 educational institutions and pursue a higher education. Enriquez argues that there is a need for a more grounded understanding of how…

In this article, David Schimmel and Matthew Militello document the legal knowledge and training of teachers based on a survey of more than thirteen hundred K-12 respondents in seventeen states. The findings from this study suggest that most educators (1) are uninformed or misinformed about student and teacher rights; (2) have taken no course in…

In this essay, former secretary of education Rod Paige depicts the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as the culmination of more than half a century of urgent but largely unheeded calls for reform of the nation's public education system. He explains the rationale for the design of NCLB and responds to several criticisms of the legislation, including…

In this essay, Betty J. Sternberg argues that the increased money and time spent on meeting the summative testing requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) adds little to the existing "gold standard" testing conducted by the State of Connecticut. Sternberg highlights the challenges faced by one state in meeting the requirements of NCLB:…

What have been some of the high points and disappointments of K-12 education over the past 75 years? How have shifting demographics in terms of race, ethnicity, social class and other differences shaped the educational experiences of various segments of the U.S. population? Sonia Nieto examines these questions, beginning with a discussion of the…

Proposes a new approach to educational research with the Roma people based on intersubjective dialogue and egalitarian relationships between researchers and subjects. Frames these suggestions within the context of historical discrimination against the Roma and their disaffection with schooling. (Contains 88 references.) (SK)

In the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust, clandestine schooling became a form of resistance to Nazi attempts to eradicate Jewish culture. A variety of community groups provided schooling that attempted to give a sense of normalcy as well as hope. (Contains 144 endnotes.) (SK)

Despite pressure for school choice, empirical evidence of its academic effects, especially on minority urban students, is mixed. Examination of evidence on public-private sector competition shows some improvement in public school efficiency. However, there is little evidence of the positive or negative impact of charter schools and vouchers.…

Situates the topic of immigration within globalization. Reviews research on new waves of immigrants and issues related to their schooling. Shows how some immigrant children thrive but others are economically and educationally disadvantaged by globalization. (Contains 19 references.) (SK)

Analysis of census data shows how educational attainment varies with race, nationality (African blacks, Caribbean blacks, European whites), and generation of U.S. residence. Educators should move beyond the notation that race equates with culture and ethnicity and learn about the effect of assimilation on schooling. (Contains 82 references.) (SK)

The summative article in this special issue highlights the challenges in educating immigrant students, research needs, and the kind of educational environment that should be provided to enable immigrant children to thrive. (Contains 27 references.) (SK)

Comparison of teacher-assigned grades and Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores in English, math, and science for 736 eighth-graders reveals that MCAS hurts African-Americans and Latinos/as in math and girls in math and science. Equitability disparities indicate the need for caution in high-stakes testing; scores should be…

Using Walt Whitman's poetry, a chief executive officer's speech, and a first-grade teacher's experience, a high school teacher describes the transformation of her understanding of achievement and intelligence. She concludes that having high expectations does not mean the same goals for every student and that students learn best what they learn out…