Edmund W. Gordon is the Richard March Hoe Professor of Psychology and Education, Emeritus and Director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is also the John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Emeritus at Yale University; and the Senior Scholar in Residence at The College Board. He has authored or edited over 15 books and monographs, including Compensatory Education: Preschool through College, which continues to be regarded as the classic work in its field. Edmund W. Gordon is one of the conceptual leaders of several of the major developments in public education, viz. Head Start, compensatory education, career education, school desegregation, alternatives in educational assessment, and supplementary education. Beatrice L. Bridglall is currently Research Scientist & Editor in the National Center for Children & Families at Teacher's College, Columbia University and Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. Bridglall is conducting several programs of research, including one directed at investigating the correlates of minority high academic achievement. An emerging area of interest is early childhood education, particularly the role of parental practices/investment in mediating academic achievement. Dr. Bridglall has recently published a co-edited book, Supplementary Education: The hidden curriculum of high academic achievement (Rowman & Littlefield 2005).

This collection of readings builds on constructivist and critical literacy theories to advocate not only for 'equal opportunities' and 'affirmative action,' but for gathering together all the cognitive, social, cultural, and psychological forces of society as a whole to empower children to reach their fullest academic potential. Recommended.

• Part 1 Part I: Affirmative Action and Affirmative DevelopmentChapter 2 Toward the Development of Intellective CharacterChapter 2 Intellective Competence: The Universal Currency in Technologically Advanced SocietiesChapter 3 Intelligence as a Socialized PhenomenonChapter 4 Affirmative Development as an Alternative to Affirmative ActionChapter 5 Meritocracy and the Opportunity to LearnChapter 6 Cultural Experience, Academic Cultures and Academic AbilityPart 7 Part II: Affirmative Development of Academic AbilityChapter 8 The Curriculum and Its FunctionsChapter 9 The Teaching and Learning of Intellective CompetenceChapter 10 Psychosocial Processes in the Cultivation of Intellective Competence: The Interpenetration of Affective, Cognitive, and Situative Processes in Intellective BehaviorChapter 11 Politicalization: A Neglected Pedagogical ProcessChapter 12 The Problem of Transfer and Adaptability: Applying the Learning Sciences to the Challenge of the Acheivement GapChapter 14 Task Force Report on the Affirmative Development of Academic Ability: All Students Reaching the Top: Strategies for Closing Academic Achievement Gaps