Historically Black colleges and universities are a unique institutional cohort in American higher education. These colleges have been celebrated for their achievements and critiqued for their composition at differing points during their collective history. This article addresses contemporary ebbs and flows of their relevance and reputation in the…

My apologies to iconic hip-hop artists, De La Soul for I have shamelessly appropriated the title, "Stakes is high" to underscore the importance of the work ahead for educators, students, parents, community members, and researchers as we attempt to develop a generation of what I call "new century" students for a world we can hardly imagine. Through…

This article presents the text of a lecture delivered by American Educational Research Association President Carol D. Lee at the 29th Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture-Colloquium Series which was held on November 5, 2008. In her lecture, Lee discussed several points of similarities between W. E. B. Du Bois and President Barack Obama. These…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) plan moves toward proficiency in basic-skills development but ultimately shrinks the notion of educational excellence for all children, occasioning fallacies but not addressing compelling matters that relate to quality, equity and academic achievement for all students. The plan would set up public schools as examples of…

Likens the educational tensions of the post 9-11 era to those of the Vietnam war period, asserting that education is a process of culture and identity transmission, while schooling is intended to ensure that status quo power relationships are maintained. Argues that for persons of African descent, education means developing knowledge bases…

Introduces a collection of essays by four educators who have dealt extensively with issues of race and its various manifestations. The four essays address fundamental issues about how race as a social reality has shaped, and continues to shape, the lives of people in the United States. Through the lenses of different academic disciplines, the…

Examines the historical formation of racial identities and racialized thinking, using a socio-historical approach to explore the ways in which racial ideologies are ingrained in the thinking and actions of white and black Americans today. Suggests that despite much progress, U.S. society overall has grown so completely apart by a continuously…

Examines racial dialogue as a pedagogical and community-building device, making suggestions for increasing its effectiveness with African American students and teachers. Notes that racial dialogues are useful for deconstructing a racialized worldview, yet often the focus for analysis and critique is only on whites, while black dialogue…

Describes the historical efforts of economically, politically, and socially oppressed black communities across the segregated U.S. south to give their children a quality education, highlighting rural Prince Edward County, Virginia. In an attempt to circumvent Brown v. Board of Education (1954), white leaders closed every public school in the…

Presents one college professor's account of how service learning might help facilitate meaningful discussions on race in an undergraduate course on Social Foundations of Education, describing the dynamics that tend to unfold whenever "race" comes up in class discussions, analyzing the benefits and potential pitfalls of service learning, and…

Asserts that vouchers are not the solution to public school problems, calling vouchers political and economic schemes for creating a market system of schools that would effectively reinforce separate and unequal school systems. Notes that no evidence supports the superiority of vouchers or private schools, though evidence demonstrates substantial…

This case study investigated how state and district reform policies affected the organization and administration of Title I schoolwide programs in Chicago's public schools, noting whether application of standards to all students contributed to increasing curricular and instructional integration. Results highlight increased teacher collaboration,…

Discusses the research and steps needed to develop performance-based and computer-adaptive assessments that are culturally responsive. Supports the development of a new conceptual framework and more explicit guidelines for designing culturally responsive assessments. (SLD)

Charts the forward and backward movements of African Americans in education since the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, noting both obstacles and success factors that have shaped the black educational experience at elementary, secondary, and higher levels. Influences on black students' achievement and college attendance are described.…

The challenge facing urban colleges and universities must be met by: (1) commitment to excellence; (2) revitalization of liberal arts; (3) outreach programs to ensure basic reading, writing, and quantitative skills among elementary and secondary students; (4) active involvement in the preparation of public school teachers; and (5) the formulation…