Gary Orfield – författare

The case for race-conscious education policyIn our unequal society, families of color fully share the dream of college but their children often attend schools that do not prepare them, and the higher education system gives the best opportunities to the most privileged. Students of color hope for college but often face a dead end.For many young people, racial inequality puts them at a disadvantage from early childhood. The Walls around Opportunity argues that colorblind policies have made college inaccessible to a large share of students of color, and reveals how policies that acknowledge racial inequalities and set racial equality goals can succeed where colorblindness has failed.Gary Orfield paints a troubling portrait of American higher education, explaining how profound racial gaps imbedded in virtually every stage of our children’s lives pose a major threat to communities of color and the nation. He describes how the 1960s and early 1970s was the only period in history to witness sustained efforts at racial equity in higher education, and how the Reagan era ushered in today’s colorblind policies, which ignore the realities of color inequality. Orfield shows how this misguided policy has resegregated public schools, exacerbated inequalities in college preparation, denied needed financial aid to families, and led to huge price increases over decades that have seen little real gain in income for most Americans.Drawing on a wealth of new data and featuring commentaries by Stella Flores and James Anderson, this timely and urgent book shows how colorblind policies serve only to raise the walls of segregation higher, and proposes real solutions that can make higher education available to all.

"A timely study on the implementation of NCLB in 6 states during the initial phase of the reform. The authors' policy recommendations will be particularly useful to policy makers and practitioners in designing more effective strategies to improve schooling quality for the least advantaged children. This book will be widely adopted in graduate courses in educational policy and intergovernmental relations." —Kenneth Wong, Professor Peabody College, Vanderbilt University "This is an important, topical book that provides a deep look at fundamental issues in the design and implementation of No Child Left Behind." —Richard F. Elmore, Gregory Anrig Professor of Educational Leadership Harvard Graduate School of Education "The well-documented and thorough approach to collecting the data is a major strength. The material fit with my experiences as a practicing principal. This book can serve as a catalyst for quality conversation that is so drastically needed about how to make NCLB do what it is intended to do—ensure that every child is successful!" —Bonnie Tryon, Principal, Golding Elementary School, Cobleskill, NY Member, 2002-2003 NAESP Board of Directors   The essential guide to understanding NCLB  The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is one of the biggest educational forces of our time. So why is it one of the least understood? NCLB Meets School Realities is an essential resource for educators wanting to explore and understand the issues raised by NCLB. Based on original research of 11 districts across 6 states by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, this text details how NCLB is put into practice, the issues it raises, and how it affects minority and low-income students. The authors look closely at the implications of increased federal involvement in education, how states designed their accountability systems to meet the NCLB requirements, and the implications of the adequate yearly progress provisions for schools and students. They examine whether the transfer policy creates better schooling options for disadvantaged families, the ability of districts to implement supplemental educational services, and how teachers view the efficacy of NCLB's reforms. They also review one provision—graduate rate accountability—in light of the national graduation rate crisis. NCLB Meets School Realities includes: