New Ideas for a New Century. In Economic School Desegregation, Kahlenberg describes a plan that responds to the decline in racial desegregation and capitalizes on the trend toward greater public school choice to ensure that all public schools maintain a majority of students from middle-class households. In this five page brief, Kahlenberg makes the case that children will do better in a system of middle-class schools, where peers are more likely to provide a positive influence, parents are more likely to be involved in the school, and teachers are more likely to have high expectations. The ideas in the brief are expanded upon in a forthcoming Century Foundation book written by Kahlenberg.
Many American children enter school without the early learning necessary to succeed in school.
New Ideas for a New Century, looks at a federally supported universal preschool program aimed at insuring that quality preschool education is available to every child in America regardless of the state or local community in which they live. Under this proposal, the federal government would set forth standards to ensure program quality and provide states and local governments with incentive grants, yet enable flexibility for each state to design and implement plans. Grave disparities in access to, quality of, and affordability of education have motivated The Century Foundation to examine the causes and effects of economic inequality and explore policy options for redressing these problems. This site will examine details often avoided by politicians disparities in finances, teacher quality, discipline and curriculum, as well as standards, home inequity, summer schooling, integration, and educational choice, among other issues. It will provide expert analysis of reform proposals and present new possibilities and fresh ideas for more equal, successful schools.