Overview

In Left Behind, a team of education scholars led by Edward P St John argues that American cities have been engaged for the past three decades in a radical-but failing-effort to transform general and vocational high schools into college preparatory institutions. By examining the educational reforms in four urban charter schools across the United States and four public high schools in New York City, Left Behind reveals how educators contend with the challenge of developing new courses while providing social support for students to build college-going cultures. The research shows that district schools struggle to comply with standards that leave little room to develop advanced thematic curricula and that charter schools have not succeeded in substantially raising student test scores. Many students who start in rigorous charter schools transfer back to public schools while both public and charter schools struggle to prepare their students for college-level work. Left Behind provides crucial insights into the troubling trajectory of public policy while offering teachers and administrators effective strategies for overcoming barriers.

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9781421417875

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Left Behind brings forth valuable research in analyzing the achievement gaps in urban high schools while illuminating the oft-ignored political scaffolding that upholds such inequities. St. John, Milazzo Bigelow, Callahan Lijana, and Masse urge for the creation of new common standards that mandate district changes to fulfill all students' specific educational needs and help fulfill their wishes of attending college . . . Left Behind perhaps most importantly situates education as a political problem that manifests itself in the lives of some of our most vulnerable students, while also focusing on the massive political power of our policymakers who determine the quality of life for generations of families to come. -- Mali Collins-White, University of Delaware * National Political Science Review *

Left Behind brings forth valuable research in analyzing the achievement gaps in urban high schools while illuminating the oft-ignored political scaffolding that upholds such inequities. St. John, Milazzo Bigelow, Callahan Lijana, and Masse urge for the creation of new common standards that mandate district changes to fulfill all students' specific educational needs and help fulfill their wishes of attending college... Left Behind perhaps most importantly situates education as a political problem that manifests itself in the lives of some of our most vulnerable students, while also focusing on the massive political power of our policymakers who determine the quality of life for generations of families to come. -- Mali Collins-White, University of Delaware * National Political Science Review *

Author Information

Edward P. St. John is the Algo D. Henderson Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan's Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education. Victoria J. Milazzo Bigelow is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education. Kim Callahan Lijana received her PhD from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. Johanna C. Masse is a doctoral candidate in higher education and sociology at the University of Michigan.

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