Creating the Opportunity to Learn: Moving From Research to Practice to Close the Achievement Gap by A. Wade Boykin & Pedro Noguera

Wade Boykin and Pedro Noguera--reveal bold truths about the achievement gap, including: (1) Why it's a mistake to explain and rationalize the persistence of the achievement gap on the basis of a single influence, such as poverty, family background, or culture; (2) What is wrong with popular approaches to closing the achievement gap; (3) Why it is critical to focus on the assets that each student brings to the classroom, rather than on the perceived deficiencies; and (4) Why pluralizing the cultural conditions in schools increases the possibility that a greater number of students--from a wider range of backgrounds--will learn.