Blocks away, in the same cities, wealthy parents are not obliged to purchase supplies, and their children are taught in smaller groups by more experienced and better educated teachers. This sort of apartheid will not be solved simply by giving students in both types of schools a lot more tests. Our research in the Bronx showed that schools with poor test scores had concentrations of uncredentialed teachers and extremely high turnover. Therefore, a critical objective of the reforms is to recruit, develop, and retain a stable core of high-quality teachers in each school. One is a Distinguished Teacher Program through which experienced teachers work in the classroom with promising teachers for eight-week periods, modeling effective instruction and acting as mentors.
Parent involvement is the third critical component of the reforms.
N.M. Specific proposals will vary according to local conditions, but recommendations for improving teacher quality and reducing class size will top the agenda. Research has found this critical, especially in the primary grades. Reducing class sizes has been most effective where pedagogy has been systematically improved to take best advantage of the change. Struggling schools should reduce their class sizes and assign teams of master teachers to maximize the benefit. We found low-income schools in Chicago disproportionately lacking in teachers with credentials, experience, and certificates.