Toward Excellence with Equity: An Emerging Vision for Closing the Achievement Gap
This book issues an urgent call to action to anyone concerned about the lagging success rates among minority children in American schools and the repercussions for our country s future. Ronald Ferguson not only surveys the bleak terrain surrounding the achievement gap, but provides all of us with a road map to reach higher ground. --Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children s ZoneToward Excellence with Equity is an important book written by one of the nation s foremost experts on education and economic development. Ronald Ferguson s pioneering work on black/white disparities in student skill levels and achievement-test scores has significant public policy implications. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about narrowing the racial gap in educational attainment and earnings. --William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard UniversityFerguson conducts an authoritative review to show that disparities in academic performance can be closed by strong parental engagement and by parents working in partnership with schools around a shared vision of success for their children. The reality is that educators can t do it alone. This highly intelligent book gives policymakers, educators, and parents essential tools for closing achievement gaps between high-performing and low-performing schools. --Susan Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio Department of Education