Peter W. Cookson Jr. - Böcker

This book brings together for the first time the most current research about the academic effects and policy implications of the school reform known as parental choice. The topic of choice in education is discussed in terms of why, when, where and how, if at all, it should be implemented. The contents are fourteen original papers written by scholars from Israel, UK, the United States and Canada and brings together the empirical studies of school choice examined in an international context.

Few school reform movements have aroused more public passion than school choice. Should families have a voice in deciding which schools their children attend? Is it true that increased competition leads to better schools? How do the various school choice proposals differ? Are school choice policies logistically feasible and economically viable? In this book Peter Cookson, a noted educational sociologist, discusses the practice and politics of school choice objectively and comprehensively. Cookson illuminates the philosophical and historical origins of the school choice movement, examines a variety of school choice plans around the nation, and analyzes the outcomes of school choice in terms of student achievement, school improvement, and the rights of the citizenry.Drawing on his own observations, interviews, and analyses of school choice research, Cookson clarifies a number of issues surrounding this hotly debated topic. He discusses, for example:—programs in Minnesota, Cambridge and Fall River, Massachusetts, and East Harlem and White Plains, New York, that demonstrate how choice can solve fundamental educational problems;—a voucher system in Milwaukee that allows children to enroll in private as well as public schools;—whether establishing an educational marketplace might result in fraudulent representation and other business malpractices;—whether choice policies will overcome or intensify social stratification and segregation.Cookson argues that school choice can be a useful tactic of educational reform, but that without good schools to choose among and full access to information about the options, the ability to choose is meaningless. He concludes by offering a proposal that would make school choice an innovative mechanism in the creation of a school system that is at once more egalitarian and superior.

Education has changed much, especially during the last decade. This comprehensive reference offers a systematic overview of developments in educational policy and practice around the world. The editors have selected roughly 30 representative countries, many of which are significant because of their power and population. Each chapter, written by an expert contributor, treats educational reform in a particular nation. The chapters place educational reform within philosophical, historical, political, social, and economic contexts, and the consideration of common issues makes this volume a valuable source of comparative information.The contributors employ a uniform approach throughout the work. The issues discussed in each chapter include the impact of economic development, educational expansion, literacy movements, achievement levels, pedagogic and curriculum reform, minority groups and women, public and private education, and the role of the State. The final chapters examine several significant trends in greater detail. Educators and policy makers will rely on this book as an indispensable reference tool.

Charter schools are the most significant educational experiment in the last two decades. In Expect Miracles, Peter W. Cookson, Jr. and Kristina Berger focus on the current trend toward deregulation in public education. The issue of deregulation is of critical importance because the spirit of entrepreneurship that is behind deregulation is seldom ex

Class Rules challenges the popular myth that high schools are the “Great Equalizers”. In his groundbreaking study, Cookson demonstrates that adolescents undergo different class rites of passage depending on the social-class composition of the high school they attend. Drawing on stories of schools and individual students, the author shows that where a student goes to high school is a major influence on his or her social class trajectory.Class Rules is a penetrating, original examination of the role education plays in blocking upward mobility for many children. It offers a compelling vision of an equitable system of schools based on the full democratic rights of students.Book features: provides a fresh, dynamic way of understanding educational inequality and social reproduction, offers a breakthrough social/psychological theory of how adolescents acquire class consciousness, compares the cultures and curricula of five American high schools focusing on the class composition of their students.

Class Rules challenges the popular myth that high schools are the “Great Equalizers”. In his groundbreaking study, Cookson demonstrates that adolescents undergo different class rites of passage depending on the social-class composition of the high school they attend. Drawing on stories of schools and individual students, the author shows that where a student goes to high school is a major influence on his or her social class trajectory.Class Rules is a penetrating, original examination of the role education plays in blocking upward mobility for many children. It offers a compelling vision of an equitable system of schools based on the full democratic rights of students.Book features: provides a fresh, dynamic way of understanding educational inequality and social reproduction, offers a breakthrough social/psychological theory of how adolescents acquire class consciousness, compares the cultures and curricula of five American high schools focusing on the class composition of their students.

"Cookson and Berger provide a thoughtful summary and insightful critique of the charter school movement. Expect Miracles explodes the myth that the charter schools operating in an educational 'marketplace' will recast public education to better serve America's children and promote democratic civic values. Anyone interested in the future of U.S. school reform should read this book." —Alex Molnar, professor and director, Education Policy Studies Laboratory, Arizona State University, and author of Giving Kids the Business "By far the best book yet to appear on the charter school movement Written with scholarship, insight, clarity, compassion, and fire." —Bruce J. Biddle, professor emeritus of the University of Missouri, and co-author of The Manufactured Crisis "Beautifully written analysis of the charter school movement in terms of its past and present political and educational dynamics as well as where it might go." —Henry M. Levin, director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University Charter schools are the most significant educational experiment in the last two decades. In Expect Miracles, Peter W. Cookson, Jr. and Kristina Berger focus on the current trend toward deregulation in public education. The issue of deregulation is of critical importance because the spirit of entrepreneurship that is behind deregulation is seldom examined from a sociological perspective. Using the latest research as the basis for discussion, this book provides a fresh look at the growing and politically volatile charter school movement. The authors present the most balanced analysis to date of the movement that is changing the landscape of American education.

"Sacred Trust: A Children′s Education Bill of Rights is a clarion call to action for all Americans who care deeply about children and public education. Peter Cookson cuts through the endless policy debates and presents a positive plan for building 21st century public schools for all children."—Richard W. Riley, Former U. S. Secretary of EducationSenior Partner, EducationCounsel, LLC, Washington, DC"Peter Cookson′s vision for a truly inclusive and quality public school system could not come at a better time. As many of our children are struggling, we need a national vision and a genuine sense of hope. Sacred Trust is a caring, yet uncompromising wake-up call to honor and support public education."—Ramon C. Cortines, Former SuperintendentLos Angeles Unified School District, CAAll students have the right to an excellent education Policy expert Peter W. Cookson, Jr. boldly describes a proposed education bill of rights for American students, including ideas on how to restructure the United States Department of Education for greater equity and improved academic achievement for all learners. School leaders will find a national blueprint of action that has been endorsed by major political, economic, and educational leaders. The book asserts that all children have the right to: Attend a school that is funded for 21st-century excellenceDevelop individual learning styles to the optimal extentHave their heritages honored and incorporated into studyIncluded are examples illustrate problems and solutions from a wide range of public and private schools in rural, urban, and suburban areas. Through vivid storytelling and relevant research, Cookson provides specific and innovative steps for creating a concrete action plan that will lead to just, equitable, and world-class schools.

An evidence-based plan of action to achieve educational justice for K–12 public school students from families whose income is 50% or more below the US poverty threshold.In School Communities of Strength, Peter W. Cookson, Jr., lays out a blueprint for providing equitable educational opportunities for students from all socioeconomic strata, and particularly for the five million American children who live with the extreme material hardship known as deep poverty. This work issues an urgent call to action for K–12 schools to put in place the policies, practices, and programs that enable economically vulnerable students to thrive.Drawing from up-to-date findings in the science of learning and development as well as analyses of schools that serve students in poverty, Cookson pinpoints success strategies that can help schools improve their poverty responsiveness. He shows how these strategies, including whole-child teaching and learning, asset-based approaches, and relationship-centered school culture, can help educators create the culturally responsive, inclusive environments that provide a base of safety from which students can better engage with their education.Offering astute analysis, Cookson notes that school communities of strength require adequate funding and also meaningful collaboration among families, neighborhood partners, and educators. This book amplifies the idea that communities working together can drive transformative change, and it brings into focus three primary policy initiatives—to fully invest in whole students, to fully invest in schools, and to fully invest in eliminating the causes of deep poverty—that can advance educational equity.