This edition focuses on the topic of closing the achievement gap from the perspectives of urban and suburban school districts. After an introduction by Judy Stewart, the first article, "Addressing Racial Disparities in High-Achieving Suburban Schools" (Ronald F. Ferguson), shares findings from a recent survey of more than 34,000 students…

This paper examines racial and ethnic achievement disparities in places where schools are reputedly excellent, reporting on the 2000-2001 Ed-Excel Assessment of Secondary School Culture, which collected data on black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and mixed race students. Questions covered family characteristics, opinions about instructional quality,…