After two decades teaching elementary aged children, Janet Erskine states that she has grown increasingly concerned with the use of high-stakes tests to determine how well students, teachers, and schools are performing. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates took effect in 2002, requiring the results on some standardized assessments be used to…

It was in late May of 2010 that the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) took their final vote on the curriculum standards that will have an impact on what millions of students in Texas as well as dozens of other states will learn about history and social studies for the next 10 years. These "Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills" (TEKS)…

In the very near future, Latino students will become the majority in California's public schools and because of their great numbers and presence, the pattern of lackluster academic achievement must be a major concern of teachers, school leaders, and policy makers. Despite having made great strides in narrowing the gap that separated them from…

In this article, the author talks about the disproportionate gap in the graduation rates in colleges and universities, which highlights the need for the higher education community to rethink strategies for improving the retention of students of color. To increase the graduation rates of students of color, the author suggests addressing the issue…

Bitter ideological battles exist over hegemonic control of classroom exchange in high school language arts classes. Discusses the debate over the selection of literature that students will read, noting the influence of the dominant culture, the resistance to inclusion of multicultural literature in these classrooms, and the importance of promoting…

Finishing the business of school desegregation requires extending efforts beyond the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to design strategies that are not dependent on the courts nor on the good will of white America. Ways to promote more equitable schools are suggested. (SLD)

Discusses multicultural education, school choice, educational reform, curriculum development, and teacher education. If the curriculum represents the past truthfully, issues of multiculturalism and inclusion of all racial groups need not be raised because a valid curriculum represents them adequately. Race explains nothing in education other than…

Gaps between multicultural theory and practice present some serious challenges and opportunities for future directions in the field. Instead of arguing about the best way to do multicultural education, it is more useful and empowering to legitimize multiple-levels appropriateness in working toward systemic reform. (SLD)