A Nation Reformed American Education 20 Years After a Nation at Risk Paperback - 2003

From the rear cover

On April 26, 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report A Nation at Risk warned of a "rising tide of mediocrity" in our schools that imperiled the nation's future and helped put education reform at the top of the national agenda. A Nation Reformed? takes stock of twenty years of school reform. Was the nation really ever "at risk" and, if so, is it still? Which reforms have made a difference and which haven't? And where do we go from here? The leading education scholars and practitioners assembled here--Richard F. Elmore, Susan H. Fuhrman, Nathan Glazer, David T. Gordon, Patricia Albjerg Graham, Pam Grossman, Jeff Howard, Timothy Knowles, Kim Marshall, Robert B. Schwartz, and Maris A. Vinovskis--present a balanced, thoughtful look at the past, current, and future effects of school reform on our nation's students, teachers, and communities. "School teachers, administrators, and community members who want a better understanding of standards-based reform--of how we got here and why--will benefit a great deal from this book. These contributors, who have been at the forefront of national discussions about improving schools, cogently lay out the complexities of educating youth to high standards. They make a convincing and inspiring case for why reform should focus on what counts the most: improving teaching and learning. If you read one book on this important anniversary, it should be A Nation Reformed?" -- Ramon Cortines, former Chancellor, New York City Public Schools "A deep, insightful, balanced appraisal from an extraordinary array of 'school reformers'--scholars, practitioners, and policy analysts--who have stayed the course for 20+ years. What they have learned and what they know about the barriers that still lie ahead is a must read for anyone concerned about the future well-being of our children, our schools, and yes, ultimately, 'our nation at risk.'"-- Anthony Bryk, Director, Center for School Improvement, University of Chicago David T. Gordon is editor of the Harvard Education Letter, the award-winning publication on K-12 education, and of the book The Digital Classroom: How Technology Is Changing the Way We Teach and Learn.