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This study of Edgewood Academy--a private, elite college preparatory high school--examines what moral choices look like when they are made by the participants in an exceptionally wealthy school, and what the very existence of a privileged school indicates about American society. It extends Peshkin's ongoing exploration of U.S. high schools and their communities, each focused in a different sociocultural setting. In this particular inquiry, he began with two central questions:
* What is a school like whose students enter with a determined disposition to attend college, and all of whom are selected on the promise they display for college success?
* What can be learned from studying Edgewood Academy that transcends the particular case of this school?

The volume opens with a description of how moral choices look when they are made by the participants in an exceedingly wealthy school. There is a general picture of the Academy, a discussion of the processes the school uses to insure the quality of its students and educators, and an overview of teachers and students that reveals what is commendable about each group. These chapters clarify what a school of ample financial means and wise leadership can do. Peshkin goes on to reflect briefly on privilege and concludes with a discussion of what the very existence of a privileged school indicates about American society. Schools, he suggests, are about much more than what goes on inside them--they mirror what is and is not at stake for their particular constituents--and function similarly for the nation.

Edgewood Academy's host community is not a village, town, church, or tribe, as in Peshkin's previous studies. It is a community created by shared aspirations for high-level academic attainment and its associated benefits. Affluence and towering academic achievement are the two most relevant factors. In this book, advantage occupies center stage. The school's excellence is documented not to extol its success, but, rather, to call attention to what is available for its students that is not available for most American children. The focus, ultimately, is on educational justice as illuminated by the advantage of Academy students--that is, on justice denied, not because anyone or any group or agency consciously, planfully sets out to do injustice to other children, but because injustice happens as the artifact of imagined limitations of resources and means. Peshkin's purpose is not to detail the particulars of how educational justice is denied to the many, but to portray and examine the meaning of a privileged school where educational justice prevails for the few.
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Customer Reviews (2)

How the Other One Percent Live
"Permissible Advantage?" is a book that, first, profiles an elite private school (Edgewood Academy) and, next, uses this profile as a springboard to talk about the moral dimension of "schools for the elite." Anyone wishing to understand how private schools run, particularly those of "elite" status, should read this book. Peshkin does a good job at profiling everything from how the principal and board of directors make decisions, to how students and teachers are selected, to the teachers' and students' opinions of the school.

The first half of the book is devoted to constructing this profile. For me, a supporter of private schools as alternatives to public ed, I enjoyed this section immensely. Peshkin discussed how the Edgewood Academy's administration works, what teachers' responsibilities are, the school's mission statement and how it works to implement it, etc.

A most important piece of this section (especially from a moral angle) is Peshkin's discussion of teachers' and students' moral conflicts in being at an elite school. On the one hand, the egalitarian/democrat impulse blanches at the idea of teaching/learning an an environment for the "creme de la creme." On the other hand, a conflicting impulse often justifies such schools as being a place where the ultra-smart can get an education that will truly challenge them. Peshkin uses exerpts from dozens of teacher and stuent interviews to document this very interesting dilemma that teachers and students face.

The second half of the book is devoted to thinking through the moral questions brought about by the existence of private, and elite private, schools. Is it undemocratic to support private education, or is it more democratic to support the educational pluralism that private ed brings? Is it "permissible" to allow the elite to perpetuate itself with access to a school that few others can afford? Or would it be "permissible" to disallow the elite to use their money to better their progeny? These questions, and others, are mulled over in some depth.

Those who dislike wading the philosophical waters may be off put by this section. I found this section valuable and agree with Pehskin that education is connected to morality in such a way that these questions are unavoidable and necessary. In the end, Peshkin's conclusion is that elite schools like the Edgewood Academy actually affirm certain core American values (like the right of families to determine how their child should be educated, and schools to determine what students to accept). I would also add that schools like Edgewood affirm the American idea of competition, market place, and market-driven innovation. (I must confess, though, that I doubt Peshkin's arguments will convince those who were not already convinced of the moral soundness of elite private schools).

Overall, an interesting book that not only profiles an elite private institution, but enters an interesting - and seemingly endless - discussion about public v. private education.

An Excellent, Balanced View w/Great Foward Looking Advice
Reading, Math and Critical Thinking offer great advantages in a capitalistic system (not inherently unfair or improper). None of this works to assure the continuance of the overall system nor, necessarily works to improve upon it. All schooling need to include a sense of justice (over charity) that recognizes the turnaround of responsibility to the community or 'common' greater-good. Read the book. The author presents it all much better than I and makes the case that elitists be embraced here as there is room for us all. ... Read more

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If we are ever to solve the problems of society we must understand how humans function as both the creators and creatures of an evolving culture. Only by viewing socialization as the ongoing product of social interaction in the context of a hierarchy of dynamic, self-organizing, feedback systems will we begin to build the scientifically reliable knowledge that can provide us with the conceptual tools necessary to ensure our survival and the health of our ecology. ... Read more

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Interdisciplinary view of socialization and culture
On the eve of the millenium Hutcheon, a sociologist, observes that this is a troubling time in industrial nations worldwide; that they are in a destructive downward spiral; and that this is contributing to a crisis ofcharacter. This book provides an interdisciplinary overview of the humansocialization process based upon social-scientific evidence.The unifyingconceptual framework should enable us to identify the directions for changeand to attempt a workable step-by-step plan for reform

Hutcheon begins byexamining the power of culture - a world of images and artifacts, of ideasand customs, of shared memories and of visions projected into the future.The result is a people-created environment that is self-generating but thatinteracts with the outside environment in a constant feedback process.Institutions are built upon the needs of individuals and of groups and formthe infrastructure of culture.Institutional functions include the family,methods for acquiring and defending territory, organizations for making andadministering policy decisions, systems for producing and distributingresources, and formal means for socializing the young, to mention afew.

Where does character come from? Socialization, Hutcheon argues,begins early in life and is the one factor amenable to human interaction. Social entities (family, mass media, peer group, school, place of worshipand other community organizations) determine the context in which the younglearn and the habits, ideals, beliefs and values they acquire. Severalchapters explore influential cultures that envelop out lives:violence,poverty and affluence, pluralism, tribalism and fantasy. The roleof media in transfering values is emphasized, in particular, theconsequences of five decades of steadily accelerating deluge of violence.But associalization is a lifelong and evolving process, Hutcheon alsolooks at methods available in modern societies for replacing destructivebehaviors and attitudes in the later stages of life.

Underlying theproblems plaguing modern democracies, Hutcheon believes, is a lack in thepublic at large, of critical thinking and of the capacity to make wisechoices, an observation recently confirmed by Nobelist Leon Lederman. This, she attributes in large part toinappropriate or failedsocialization.But it is noted that there are no magical or ideologicalshortcuts to positive cultural evolution, which must begin early inlife.

Hutcheon's attempt to provide a conceptual framework relating tocharacter and culture and directions for change is an ambitious one.Herscholarly work challenges us and if we wish to further pursue the ideas andconcepts, she has provided an extensive bibliography.Heuristic andeffective as a teaching tool, Building Character and Culture is recommendedto all who seek insight into our contemporary society and especially tothose who help mold young minds.

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A powerful reinterpretation of modern cultural values.
Pat Duffy Hutcheon's newest book, Building Character and Culture, offers a powerful reinterpretation of modern cultural values. This is groundbreaking work, which skilfully and sensitively addresses a range of issues andproblems in modern western society, and which offers a rational andeminently sensible framework for dealing with these concerns.

Basing herwork on sociological principles, Hutcheon offers a convincing thesis thatculture, and the values of that culture, are fundamental to anunderstanding of the human condition. Her examination of genes and memes isparticularly thought-provoking, and establishes a context for thesignificant issues which are subsequently addressed.

Throughout the book,there is a strong emphasis on socialisation, and on the formal and informallearning and development of children and adolescents. This would be ofparticular interest to teachers and parents, and of great importance tothose working in faculties of education which are preparing the teachers ofthe future.

A few chapters merit particular attention.

The chapterentitled "The Culture of Violence: Creating the Monsters amongUs" should be required reading for all those involved in public policymaking. Clear evidence is provided (and this is substantiated in animportant appendix by a very impressive annotated bibiography)that childrenraised, and socialised, in a culture of violence cannot escape unscathed.Those of us horrified by the recent school violence in America, includingthe incident in Denver, will not in a hurry forget the insights into thesephenomena provided by Hutcheon.

I have some reservations about Hutcheon's analysis of the role of government in modern society. Those of us appalledby the "downsizing" of government, with its attendant socialpain, might argue for a continued, even enhanced, governmental role,supported by an effective tax base. Hutcheon rejects the ideologicalassumptions of both left and right, but I suspect that interventionistgovernment has more of a future than she concedes. Time willtell!

Finally, the chapter on pluralism and tribalism is in my viewhighly relevant to our current plight. Hutcheon systematically andconvincingly demonstrates the dangers of tribal loyalties within modernsocieties, and argues that social cohesion, and indeed the continuedexistence of society, is fundamentally endangered by the postmodernacceptance of cultural relativism and social fragmentation.

Hutcheonconcludes her book with an examination of faith and doubt, positing thatdoubt rather than faith is the key to the future ... "our only hopefor developing the wise and reasonable people needed to create and sustaina self-governing civic society."

This is a book which will challengeingrainedassumptions, and which may significantly affect the way in whichyou view the world. Any book capable of achieving such a goal is nothingshort of inspirational.

(Dr) Gordon Baker School of Education TheFlinders University of South Australia

Building Character and Culture
This timely book urgently reminds us of our personal and collective responsibility for the culture of which we are all an integral part and for the manner in which it continues to evolve. Pat Duffy Hutcheon articulates the ongoing interaction and reciprocal stimulation between genetic evolution and cultural development; between genes and memes.

As in her previous book "Leaving the Cave" she stresses the imperative of applying sound scientific principles more effectively and consistently to the social sciences, in particular to her own field of sociology.

In her latest book Duffy Hutcheon provides a thorough, thoughtful and well-researched overview of the nature of human socialization and argues persuasively for reasoned, informed and compassionate intervention to alleviate the profound problems in contemporary culture that have resulted from our inadequate understanding of our culture-building propensities.

"Building Character and Culture" starts with an overview of the broader culture and its inevitable influence on human character development and an elaboration on what distinguishes us from the other animals as well as what we have in common with them. It notes the importance of the development of language and the uniquely human capacity for introspection flowing from this and precipitating our search for meaning and purpose.

This is followed by a discussion of the social entities, such as family, schools and mass media that determine the context within which we learn as well as the values we acquire.Children learn as a result of natural curiosity, imagination, creativity and socialization and develop character from the values imparted to them.

The important point here is that we are not impotent in changing ourselves for the better. Our character is not fixed in the genes. The individual choices we make in the process of moral development become all the more relevant.

Humans are builders of culture and character and we cannot simply disregard our responsibility for the untenable rate of violent crime committed by too many young people in North America, in particular the increasing abuse of children by children.

At this point Duffy Hutcheon wades firmly into the controversial field of free speech relating to the pervasive and gratuitous violence portrayed particularly in the electronic media and brushes aside unwarranted concerns about censorship. The book offers an appendix with an elaborate annotated bibliography of studies on this issue.Another potentially controversial area deals with a socio-economic analysis of factors contributing to character and culture.

First Duffy Hutcheon explodes the conservative myth of genuine competition and the alleged benefit of unrestrained free markets and she berates the tax structure that militates against the vast majority of average income earners. On the other hand she dismisses the equally untenable liberal myth of the benefits of universality of social programs and government administered entitlements to achieve genuine equality of opportunity and reminds us of the hazards of ever accumulating debt.

Duffy Hutcheon warns of the inherent instability of a culture of poverty causing those trapped in a substantial underclass to become increasingly alienated from the larger culture.

Another subcultural system affecting character and culture is the troubling one of tribalism that most recently raised its ugly head in the tragedy in the Balkans.Duffy Hutcheon examines the biological and cultural origins of the troubling re-emergence of tribalism in its many guises and argues persuasively against the siren call of blood and belief in favor of an integrated pluralism that is necessary to maintain civil order in a society containing so many diverse ethnic groups. The book concludes with an assessment of the culture of fantasy and the danger in moving beyond the mere provision of a cushion against the harsh realities of the world that we inhabit.Such extension can cripple the reasoning capacity of significant segments of the population and impede their ability to distinguish fact from fiction.Duffy Hutcheon argues for the development of a conjectural conceptional stance or an approach of being in the world that readily recognizes cause and effect.An appropriate socialization process will move individuals to a stage where the conjectural mode of interpreting events becomes habitual. At the earlier stages of socialization the aim would be to do more than merely satisfying curiosity and meeting a need for certainty and move the individual beyond magical or needlessly repetitive explanations. Duffy Hutcheon is optimistic that we can accomplish the daunting task of developing citizens of good character provided by a containing culture imparting the necessary attributes of such character and using our evolved moral and intellectual capacities to affect the socialization process in a more positive and rational manner than before.

"Building Character and Culture" makes a profound contribution to this effort and provides a stimulating and informative overview of what must be done to redirect a process that has gone sadly wrong.

In addition to the appendix regarding studies on the impact of violence in the media is an appendix providing a splendid series of guidelines for moral education developed by the author.

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Program Theory-Driven Evaluation Science fills the gap between 21st century literature on evaluation and what is happening in practice. It features detailed examples of how evaluations actually unfold in practice to develop people, programs, and organizations. Commonly accepted strategies for practicing evaluation are outlined, followed by comprehensive accounts of how those strategies have played out in the face of the complexities and challenges of “real world” settings. In so doing, the book illustrates the authentic challenges of implementing an evaluation approach in practice.

Author Stewart Donaldson provides a state-of-the-art treatment of the practice of program theory-driven evaluation science. Each case follows a three-step model: developing program impact theory; formulating and prioritizing evaluation questions; and answering evaluation questions. Initial chapters discuss the emergence of program theory-driven evaluation science and specific strategies for carrying out each of the three steps. Succeeding chapters address recent applications and practical implications of evaluation science. The challenges and lessons learned from the cases are then reviewed.

This volume is of significant value to evaluation practitioners, professors and trainers of evaluation, evaluation researchers, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and serves as a text for courses in evaluation and applied research methods. It is also of great interest to those interested in the connections between work and health, career development, human service organizations, and organizational improvement and effectiveness.

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Customer Reviews (2)

Understanding Asia
I became a fan of David We after reading his first book on Preschool in Three Cultures. At that time many people were fascinated and puzzled by Japan's economic success (as some still are). Any sociologist or business person planning to do business in Japan or China would be well advised to read the first and revisited versions.
It is rare that writers take such an openly critical look at the work they are doing. Videos of classroom activities are shown to the participants of the three countries involved for feedback and criticism thereby immensely increasing the diversity of opinion that only one onlooker might achieve. The Japanese are aghast at the severity of the Chinese classroom regimen initially but impressed after a passage of 20 years and phenomenal change in Chinese society. The Chinese are aghast at the lax attitude of the Japanese teachers, offering readers great insight into the decision making processes of both countries. It reveals much and I admire all those involved in delving into the originals of culture, social expectations and organization that these books reveal.

Wonderful research on important topics in early childhood education, well presented!
Sometimes you pick up a book that you enjoyed in an earlier phase of your life to check whether it was really that good. In the case of "Preschool in Three Cultures" the situation is even more interesting in that we get to revisit the earlier book and its subject matter. It turns out that the earlier book was definitely that good and that revisiting the same subject matter is perhaps even better.

For the general public interested in childhood education, as well as for academic specialists in comparative and early childhood education, this is not only a very informative, but also a truly enjoyable read.

The book is particularly strong in the research methods that are brought to bear on important questions regarding early childhood education. To examine differences between early education in the U.S., China, and Japan, the authors videotaped a day in two preschools in each country and then showed these videos (in edited form) to teachers at the schools where the videos were shot to get their reaction to aspects of the video. In addition, the researchers also showed these videos to other educators in all three countries to get their reactions. These screenings also included the videos that formed the basis for the original research, published as Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China and the United States, adding a longitudinal comparison to the international one.

By showing concrete evidence of particular pedagogical strategies, the authors tease out reactions that tell the reader about perceptions of other countries' pedagogies, but by extension also about perspectives on early childhood education more generally.

Whereas one often hears that old chestnut about Japan being a Confucian society, Tobin, Hsueh, and Kawasawa were able to point to very concrete facets of early education to compare between the three countries. By the way, it turns out that there is very little that's obviously "Confucian" about Chinese or Japanese early education.

By describing the preschools themselves, but then also discussing the reactions of educators to the videos at great length, the authors skilfully draw us into their analysis and actually let readers do a lot of the analysis themselves. Not only is this admirable in terms of the openness of the method, but it gives readers a great opportunity to engage the research materials themselves and to learn a lot about comparative early education in the process.

As icing on the cake, the videos are actually available from the author (see [...]). For my part, I will be showing the videos to students in an undergraduate class on "Sociology of Education" and then discussing them before assigning parts of the book. I know that the students will enjoy the videos as well as the readings and that they will benefit greatly from their exposure to this research.


-- Julian Dierkes
Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
Author of Postwar History Education in Japan and the Germanys: Guilty lessons (Routledge Contemporary Japan Series) ... Read more

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Marica B. Baxter Magolda provides teaching techniques that help bridge the gap between professor and student--a gap that leaves each struggling to understand the other's position.This goal can be achieved by redefining how students view knowledge- as an evolving and endless process with multiple viewpoints, not as a certainty.Viewing knowledge in this way will help the student develop their own assumptions and achieve self-authorship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pedagogy that makes a difference in students' lives
Constructive developmental pedagogy, as described by Marcia Baxter Magolda, refers to creating learning contexts in which students are allowed to generate their own ideas and find their own voices. Building on the work of Robert Kegan, Magolda argues that teachers should help students achieve self-authorship, creating individuals who are able to create strong positive relations with others while maintaining their own sense of selfhood. Self authorship is "simultaneously an ability to construct knowledge in a contextual world, an ability to construct an internal identity separate from external influences, and an ability to engage in relationships without losing one's internal identity."Referencing her earlier well-known longitudinal study of college youth, Magolda argues that students have the potential to pass through four ways of knowing, moving from absolute knowing, through transitional-, independent-, and possibly contextual-knowing.(People who know the Perry scheme of intellectual development will recognize this model.) Three of the four modes are gender-related, with men more focused on impersonal knowing and women on connected knowing, but the overall scheme applies to all students.

How do teachers achieve the ambitious goal of helping students achieve self authorship? First, Magolda argues that teachers must create conditions within which students are validated as knowers, rather than as passive receptacles into which experts pour knowledge.Second, pedagogical practices must situate learning in students' own experiences, creating new experiences or drawing on their previous experiences, rather than presenting knowledge as detached and free-floating. Third, teachers must collaborate with students in defining learning as mutually constructed meaning.Magolda takes great pains to point out that this does not mean turning students loose in an anything goes environment. Instead, students must be initiated into the community of knowing within a teacher's discipline or field, with teachers modeling good practices for students and helping them experience the thrill of discovering knowledge for themselves.

Magolda documents the effectiveness of her model by presenting ethnographic and survey data from her own classes and those of three other instructors at Miami University of Ohio.She does a wonderful job of conveying what it was like to be a student in these classes, and is realistic about the limits of what each instructor achieved. Most courses did well in reaching transitional, independent, and contextual knowers, but fell short with absolute knowers.

I highly recommend this book to instructors ready for the challenge of trying to make a real difference in the lives of their students.The book does not shy away from the dilemmas of trying to make this approach work in the face of ingrained assumptions antithetical to its use.Indeed, Magolda identifies and counters the typical false dilemmas thrown against the method by critics, and instead portrays the real dilemmas.Her passionate presentation and honest evaluation of the evidence should convince even the more serious skeptic that constructive developmental pedagogy has a great deal to offer 21st century college instructors. ... Read more

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The test score gap between blacks and whites - on vocabulary, reading, and math tests, as well as on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence - is large enough to have far-reaching social and economic consequences. In their introduction to this book, Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips argue that eliminating the disparity would dramatically reduce economic and educational inequality between blacks and whites. Indeed, they think that closing the gap would do more to promote racial equality than any other strategy now under serious discussion. The book offers a comprehensive look at the factors that contribute to the test score gap and discusses options for substantially reducing it.Amazon.com Review
Ever since affirmative action was adopted as a wide-rangingpolicy in education and employment, controversy has surroundedit. Opinions have flown thick and fast, but there has been little hardevidence to support either side. The prosaically named Black-WhiteTest Score Gap, a collection of essays on the subject, attempts torectify this situation. As one authority after another weighs in, itbecomes increasingly clear that the causes of African Americans'inferior scores on standardized tests have less to do with nature andeverything to do with nurture (or lack of it). Not surprisingly,conditions such as poverty and lack of opportunity at the beginning ofa child's life seems to have terribly detrimental effects on testscores and thus the chance to go to school or find a well-paying joblater on. Editors Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips have done agood job of selecting both the topics and the contributors for thisoften contentious, always fascinating study of affirmative action. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Most objective book on the topic, still room for a classic, though
This book could have been a classic. Following "The Bell Curve", a provocative mid-90s book that argued for underlying genetic causes to black-white achievement gaps, a rigorous, articulate rebuttal was necessary to show that gaps do exist, but there are causes beyond genetics that can be addressed to reduce inequality. "Black White Test Score Gap" is certainly a rigorous rebuttal, but this book is really, really hard to understand unless you have completed a quality statistics course. This book is clearly written for a purely academic audience, and I struggled with it, despite having a strong nonstatistics math background and a hunger for reading social science books such as William Julius Wilson's "The Declining Significance of Race".

Many of the conclusions are pertinent and do shed light on the subject, however. The article that argued *against* the disadvantages of acting white for black students was very insightful and weakened my support for the conventional wisdom that black students do not achieve largely due to peer pressure. The article comparing black students and white students performance at highly selective colleges rang true with my experiences as a black, Ivy league college student. An article focusing on teacher's expectations confused me, but it did help me appreciate the magnitude of the problem and that ultimately, all of the numbers in this book must be complemented by risky narrative research as well. We can perform regression analysis forever and identify that high teacher expectations and teachers with high test scores yield better student performance. But if we lack the psychological will to fight and the human stories to inspire, much of the accurate research in this book will be in vain.

One essay that I strongly disagree with is the Claude Steele essay documenting "stereotype threat". For me, this study is a boutique research project. A very small sample of Stanford students does not convince me that stereotype threat, a theory that black students perform worse when they are informed that a test assesses their intelligence, is a major problems for the majority of black high achievers. Several authors in this book herald this study as a breakthrough in potentially addressing the gap. Short of training teachers to be psychologists and motivational speakers, I do not see how we can address this problem if it is a large cause for the black-white test score gap. Even worse, I challenge Steele to replicate his findings amongst a more representative sample of black high achievers, such as those who attend some east coast scores, those at historically black colleges and universities, and those who receive full scholarships at less selective and state colleges. The high achieving black student is not the high achieving white student, I agree. But I don't think that Steele is helping issues with putting this research in this book.

This book is still helpful for those with a strong research background and understanding of the subject. It should be required reading for any educational professional Masters level and above who works with black students. For the layman, however, there are better books out there perhaps, or at least room for a book that translates the conclusions of "The Black White Test Score Gap" into more articulate, clearer language and analysis.

3 stars

--SD

An Almost Solid Meta-Analysis of a Persistent but Not-So Perplexing Educational Problem
The editors of this collection of carefully worded journal articles have brought the public (and often less informed) debate about racial disparity in test score results back to the academic arena at a critical juncture. As another reviewer noted, the quantitative analysis can and does indeed distract from the thrust of the arguments being put forward, but not overly so unless one is a lay reader uninitiated in this lingering debate. If you have grown weary of ideologically-charged elements in this debate, you will welcome this collection. The editors have included articles that address with varying degrees of success the many issues and causes which come to the fore when the topic of the test score gap is broached. My only criticism is that more should have been offered by way of a contrasting viewpoint about how the current phenomenon of the decline (and in many instances) disintegration of the nuclear black family has exacerbated this racial learning gap. Concern for a lack of social and economic capital is legitimate fodder for discussion but one should not ignore the elephant in the parlor--the fact that 7 in 10 black children are now born out of wedlock.

Cook and Ludwig's article on the burdens of acting white should be well noted as it gets at the most overlooked source of the problem. Few articles over the past two decades have appeared in either the academic or popular press about this pernicious trend in the black community.

Steele and Aronson's social psychological study at Stanford University in the early 1990s that led to their promulgation of a stereotype threat deserves special attention if only because the study has not been replicated on a comparable or larger scale. Yet the existence of such a threat is now taken as a given by many eager to assign blame beyond the home. Yet few who embrace this factor will publicly admit that the very affirmative action policies, for instance, that include "National Black Achiever" categories for PSAT test takers continually remind black high school juniors that they have not and do not need to achieve at the same level to receive some semblance of national academic recognition. Low expectations emanate as much if not more from political decisions beyond the school door as behind it.

It is this last point that the reader should most bear in mind as he or she reads these articles. A previous reviewer from Cleveland and a college minority affairs officer would have us believe that most white teachers in the inner-city are biased in their regard for the academic potential of their black students and are themselves relatively incompetent. As one who taught for a decade in the inner-city at a predominantly black SWS (school-within-a-school) high school (and taught some of the participants in the Steele-Aronson study) and had occasion to visit dozens of schools with similar demographics, I must take issue with his point. Indeed, as this volume neglects to address, perhaps inadvertently, many of the most indifferent teachers are themselves black and, to the contrary, many if not most of their white colleagues are anything but complacent. In magnet (re: college preparatory) inner-city schools, in particular, the bulk of the teaching staff is well-trained in addition to being highly motivated.

So after reading this much needed compendium, one would do well to read John McWhorter's "Losing the Race" (he is a young black linguist at Berkeley) for an eloquent appraisal of the victimhood mindset that besets many would-be civic leaders in the black community nowadays--a mindset also overlooked in this otherwise solid collection.

right, in a way...
i personally believe that environment has a larger effect on black test scores compared to the other races. but it's not the whole story either, and is definitely isn't "everything to do with nurture". the true answer lies somewhere between this book and the 'bell curve'. there are racial differences. these are easily measurable in athletics (ex. the dominance of west african sprinters, east african long distance runners, arab north african middle distance runners, eastern european/russian weightlifters, white swimmers), but not so easily measured in 'intelligence'. there are macro differences which are readily apparent (advances in civilizations/cultures (arts, sciences, wealth, infrastructure, etc.)). but to blame everything nazi-style on race would be equally incorrect. there are differences between the races and their capacities to do (or excel) at things. but the genetic component is small and can be no more than plus or minus 10 percent (between the races) for the average person. there's always that one russian guy in the 100m olympic sprint final, and there are black geniuses. so the average black student in america isn't genetically inferior to the other students, they are mostly being held down by the shortsighted black 'community' and lack of both parents in the average 'family', not being taught discipline and responsibility, etc.

Overwhelming evidence
This book brings together numerous research studies for various reasons behind the Black-White test score gap.It compares and contrasts studies, reveals skewed statistics and backs up grounded ones.I would recommend this to teachers and other professionals associated with the learning of children and giving of standardized tests.I can't say that after reading this I have any major findings, but it did open my eyes to some of my own biases and confirmed teaching methods and classroom community building ideas I have.I found the statistics in this book a bit overwhelming, but the related underlying ideas were well-explained.I would suggest that a top-notch mathematician would be very interested in how research was tabulated.Other than that, I find this a worthwhile insight to the facts associated with the B-W test score gap.It raised many questions as to the validity of some research, and showed me that many answers are not just "black and white" in response to the situation.

Honest and Reflective Essays on the Test Score Gap
I work in the minority affairs at a major univerity.One of the questions I often get from majority and minority students and faculty is, "why are the scores--on average--so much lower for minority students than other students".Sometimes the implied message is, are the Black students dumber?The Black-White Test Scoe Gap is the best source I know for answering this and questions without getting defensive.The book makes plain that their is not just one "answer", but many theories.I have always thought a big chunk of the problem had to do with so many lower middle class white teachers who had low expectations for Black children.Interestingly, one of the writers agrees that the gap has something to do with the teachers, but notes a different problem: teachers (regardless of race)in urban areas tend to have low standardized test scores themselves and therefore may find it difficult to improved the scores of their students.I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

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The purpose of Grammar for Teachers is to encourage readers to develop a solid understanding of the use and function of grammatical structures in American English. It approaches grammar from a descriptive rather than a prescriptive approach; however, throughout the book differences between formal and informal language, and spoken and written English are discussed. The book avoids jargon or excessive use of technical terminology. It makes the study of grammar interesting and relevant by presenting grammar in context and by using authentic material from a wide variety of sources.

Customer Reviews (2)

great resource
I really like this book. It has everything you need. In addition, it offers some great practice activities you can try with your students.

informative book
This book contains more than just the basic grammar rules.I was able to find the answers to all of my questions in this book. ... Read more

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This study joins the current discussion of excellence in higher education by proposing criteria by which excellence can be judged and by describing a model by which it can be achieved. The model, called "The Paracollege," is an innovating cluster college at St. Olaf College. Like Oxford and Cambridge it features tutorial modes of instruction and comprehensive examinations but integrates these within the traditional American liberal arts college. Using interviews, survey results, and data from standardized tests to make his case, the author argues that during its 18 years of existence the Paracollege has proven to be a significant vehicle for personal development of students, personal and professional development of faculty, and curricular vitality for the whole college. Contents: include: Education for Excellence; What is the Paracollege; Student Development in the Paracollege; Faculty Development in the Paracollege; Curriculum; Institutional Impact; and Studies of the Paracollege's Effectiveness. ... Read more

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This text, written by two social psychologists, tells the story of scientific research on intimate relationships in a comprehensive yet concise manner.

Presented at a level equally suited for beginning and advanced students of the field, Intimate Relationships covers both classic and current material. Chapters range from attraction to love, attachment to jealousy, conflict to relationship dissolution – all written in a warm, personal, and engaging voice.

Each chapter is organized around the major issues and relevant theories, in addition to a critical evaluation about the research. When appropriate, the authors discuss and evaluate popular ideas about relationship processes in the context of scientific research. This includes critical evaluations of evolutionary approaches to attraction, victim-based accounts of abuse, and the separate-cultures view of the sexes.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Review from a college student
I've never written a review for a book before, so not sure quite how it goes. I wanted to say that this is an excellent book - it was used as a "text" book for my college class "Psychology of Love" and it was one of the best books I ever read. Although it does have a "text-book" style, it is easy reading and the information is interesting and informative. Erber and Erber discuss several different theories associated with love, and begin the book with what attracts one another, all the way to dissolution of love. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge and thoughts on love. In addition I'd recommend reading it in conjunction with Robert Sternberg's Love is a Story book, isbn 0195131029. ... Read more