Quotes
"If, however, we were to inquire deeply into how social class influences academic achievement, part of the explanation would be socioeconomic and part would be genetic. This being the case, fully closing the black-white achievement gap is probably not a theoretically desirable goal. However, we are far from being in danger of having too small a gap. Fully closing the black-white gap is both desirable and feasible, but will first require social and economic reforms that would result in distributing black and white students equally between the social classes" (p.18)
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"We understand that because no single cause is rigidly deterministic, some people can smoke, keep handguns, speed, or drink to excess without harm. Yet despite such understanding, quite sophisticated people often proclaim that the success of some poor children proves that poverty or other social disadvantage does not cause low achievement." (p.62)
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"Can this all be fixed? Not if we insist on a mechanistic system that allows federal administrators to judge whether schools are successful or failing simply by examining data reports from annual tests" (p.94)
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"Policy makers might find that if schools attempted to overcome non-cognitive skill gaps that arise from socioeconomic conditions, schools would have some success by providing opportunities for lower-class children to develop organizational skills in after-school clubs and non-academic pursuits, and by implementing curricular reforms that provide more opportunity for student collaboration, voice, and inquiry". Page 127 |
"Public schools come under great criticism for their apparent inability to do much to close [ the black-white test score gap]. Some of this criticism may be entirely justified. But what this book has tried to suggest is that there is more to the story than school reform. No society can realistically expect schools alone to abolish inequality". Page 129 |