Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap
In his book, Richard Rothstein offers a comprehensive look at the descrepancy between black and white students' achievement levels and continued failure to close that achievement gap. Rothstein argues that we should look at this issue with a wider lens than what policymakers traditionally use, which is to blame the black-white achievement gap on inadequate schools or teachers. Rather than limit his argument to this perspective, Rothstein explores the issue through a wider lens, where he attributes this black-white achievement gap to "social class characteristics".
Richard Rothstein's book presents a innovative way of analyzing and discussing the correlation between social class and student achievement by looking at how a social class' ability to access certain necessities (such as health care, stable housing, nutrition, etc.) influence student preparedness for school. After exploring how these social issues perpetuate the black-white achievement gap, Rothstein presents interesting ways in which he believes that policymakers can "chisel away at" the black-white achievement gap.