Overview

While it is quite clear that black and Latino students in general, and poor black and poor Latino students in particular do not do as well as white students in school, the road to real solutions to this very important and vexing problem is far from clear. Some champion vouchers and charter schools as the ideal solution, despite strong data suggesting that neither is particularly effective. Others point to smaller classes. Increasingly scholars and politicians support more accountability on the part of teachers, despite the reality that teachers do not have a great deal of control over much that influences performance. This book addresses the various “solutions”, and suggests that any solution to the gap that ignores the role of families is limited at best, and misguided at worst. The book details an effort to help poor black and poor Latino families learn to do the things necessary to help their children to do better in school, and argues that this family centered approach, while complicated, should be considered along side the school centered efforts.

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9781610489478

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Author and researcher, William A. Sampson brings to light the reality that Black and Latino children are challenged daily to succeed in life. The themes that run through the stories of the children in this book will inspire solutions for positive influences by educators, mothers, fathers and each of us for the future of our children. The acceptance of suffering children has allowed the repeat cycle of intergenerational poverty, fragmented families, father absence, and the failure of our children and their future. As William A. Sampson reveals here, accepting the challenges of fathers, mothers, and role models to provide aspirations for their children can no longer continue. Narrowing the Achievement Gap is a must read for parents and leaders. -- James C. Rodiguez, CEO and president, Fathers & Families Coalition of America

Author Information

William Alfred Sampson is a professor of public policy at DePaul University in Chicago. His current research addresses racial and social class differences in academic achievement and the efficacy of various solutions to that achievement gap.

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