The Anatomy Of Achievement Gaps

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The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps

Author : Jaekyung Lee
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190217642
Total Pages : 457 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps by : Jaekyung Lee

Download or read book The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps written by Jaekyung Lee and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps offers a critical analysis of underachievement problems in American education from interdisciplinary, international, and systems perspectives. The book has several aims: to build a new model of achievement gap research and policy; to provide evidence on the state and alterability of achievement gaps; to synthesize separate lines of domestic and international achievement gap research; and to evaluate and inform American P-16 (pre-school through college) education policies. In light of socioeconomic changes and educational paradigm shifts, Jaekyung Lee extends the scope of analysis from a K-12 to a P-16 education pipeline and from domestic racial/social groups to international groups, with focus on the case of South Korea. Through multilevel and longitudinal analyses of U.S. national and international datasets, The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps provides new evidence on the status and trends of achievement gaps, causes of these gaps, and the effects of policy interventions. In an effort to evaluate the nation's strengths and weaknesses across the P-16 education pipeline, it draws upon a wide range of educational data sources and indicators. Featuring cross-cultural perspectives beyond the U.S., Lee reframes achievement gap and educational accountability issues.

The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps

Author : Jaekyung Lee
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 444 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (935 download)

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Book Synopsis The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps by : Jaekyung Lee

Download or read book The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps written by Jaekyung Lee and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Anatomy of Achievement Gaps

Author : Jaekyung Lee
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis Anatomy of Achievement Gaps by : Jaekyung Lee

Download or read book Anatomy of Achievement Gaps written by Jaekyung Lee and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Educator's Handbook for Understanding and Closing Achievement Gaps

Author : Joseph Murphy
Publisher : Corwin Press
ISBN 13 : 1412964555
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis The Educator's Handbook for Understanding and Closing Achievement Gaps by : Joseph Murphy

Download or read book The Educator's Handbook for Understanding and Closing Achievement Gaps written by Joseph Murphy and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Beginning with a remarkably comprehensive and accessible analysis of the gap's causes, the book offers a refreshingly balanced, evidence-based, state-of-the-art outline of productive solutions that should inform the work of all educational stakeholders' - Ken Leithwood, Professor, OISE/University of Toronto 'No one is better positioned than Joseph Murphy to provide lessons for education leaders on this important topic' - Andrew Porter, George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education , University of Pennsylvania 'For too long, the achievement gap has been proclaimed, discussed, and then dismissed as a subject of despair. Seldom has it been systematically defined, placed in historical perspective, or positively addressed. Through thorough scholarship, comprehensive knowledge, and creativity, this book fills that void' - James W. Guthrie, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Educational Leadership and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University 'While offering no simple pathway to progress, this book reminds us how much more we can do to close achievement gaps' - Michael S. Knapp, Director Center for the Study of Teaching & Policy, University of Washington Distinguished researcher Joseph F. Murphy has gathered and analyzed the most up-to-date research and data to help headteachers understand what the achievement gap is, why it persists, and what teachers can do about it. This comprehensive handbook: - Examines external factors that contribute to achievement gaps, such as socioeconomic status, family environment, racism, and individual differences - Covers internal factors such as instruction, school culture, and school support - Provides strategies for addressing both internal and external factors to make an impact.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Author : Belinda Williams
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 0871202735
Total Pages : 213 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (712 download)

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Book Synopsis Closing the Achievement Gap by : Belinda Williams

Download or read book Closing the Achievement Gap written by Belinda Williams and published by ASCD. This book was released on 1996 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chapters in this book, based on the efforts of the Urban Education National Network Task Force, define the nature of obstacles to the academic performance of urban students and identify, validate, and disseminate a knowledge base of theory and practice to inform decision making about urban schools. The chapters are: (1) "The Nature of the Achievement Gap: The Call for a Vision To Guide Change" (Belinda Williams); (2) "Bridging the Achievement Gap in Urban Schools: Reducing Educational Segregation and Advancing Resilience-Promoting Strategies" (Margaret C. Wang and John A. Kovach); (3) "Cultural Values in Learning and Education" (Patricia Marks Greenfield, Catherine Raeff, and Blanca Quiroz); (4) "Educating Teachers To Close the Achievement Gap: Issues of Pedagogy, Knowledge, and Teacher Preparation" (Kenneth M. Zeichner); (5) "Closing the Achievement Gap: Opportunity To Learn, Standards, and Assessment" (Floraline Ingram Stevens); (6) "Fostering Resiliency in Urban Schools" (Bonnie Benard); (7) "Teacher Engagement and Real Reform in Urban Schools" (Karen Seashore Louis and BetsAnn Smith); and (8) "A Social Vision for Urban Education: Focused, Comprehensive, and Integrated Change" (Belinda Williams). An appendix lists the Regional Educational Laboratories. Most chapters contain references. (Contains one figure.) (SLD)

Students of Color and the Achievement Gap

Author : Richard R. Valencia
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317691067
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

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Book Synopsis Students of Color and the Achievement Gap by : Richard R. Valencia

Download or read book Students of Color and the Achievement Gap written by Richard R. Valencia and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-03-05 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Students of Color and the Achievement Gap is a comprehensive, landmark analysis of an incontrovertible racialized reality in U.S. K-12 public education---the relentless achievement gap between low-socioeconomic students of color and their economically advantaged White counterparts. Award winning author and scholar Richard Valencia provides an authoritative and systemic treatment of the achievement gap, focusing on Black and Latino/Latina students. He examines the societal and educational factors that help to create and maintain the achievement gap by drawing from critical race theory, an asset-based perspective and a systemic inequality approach. By showing how racialized opportunity structures in society and schools ultimately result in racialized patterns of academic achievement in schools, Valencia shows how the various indicators of the achievement gap are actually symptoms of the societal and school quality gaps. Following each of these concerns, Valencia provides a number of reform suggestions that can lead to systemic transformations of K-12 education. Students of Color and the Achievement Gap makes a persuasive and well documented case that school success for students of color, and the empowerment of their parents, can only be fully understood and realized when contextualized within broader political, economic, and cultural frameworks.

Too Many Children Left Behind

Author : Bruce Bradbury
Publisher : Russell Sage Foundation
ISBN 13 : 1610448480
Total Pages : 223 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis Too Many Children Left Behind by : Bruce Bradbury

Download or read book Too Many Children Left Behind written by Bruce Bradbury and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2015-06-30 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The belief that with hard work and determination, all children have the opportunity to succeed in life is a cherished part of the American Dream. Yet, increased inequality in America has made that dream more difficult for many to obtain. In Too Many Children Left Behind, an international team of social scientists assesses how social mobility varies in the United States compared with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Bruce Bradbury, Miles Corak, Jane Waldfogel, and Elizabeth Washbrook show that the academic achievement gap between disadvantaged American children and their more advantaged peers is far greater than in other wealthy countries, with serious consequences for their future life outcomes. With education the key to expanding opportunities for those born into low socioeconomic status families, Too Many Children Left Behind helps us better understand educational disparities and how to reduce them. Analyzing data on 8,000 school children in the United States, the authors demonstrate that disadvantages that begin early in life have long lasting effects on academic performance. The social inequalities that children experience before they start school contribute to a large gap in test scores between low- and high-SES students later in life. Many children from low-SES backgrounds lack critical resources, including books, high-quality child care, and other goods and services that foster the stimulating environment necessary for cognitive development. The authors find that not only is a child’s academic success deeply tied to his or her family background, but that this class-based achievement gap does not narrow as the child proceeds through school. The authors compare test score gaps from the United States with those from three other countries and find smaller achievement gaps and greater social mobility in all three, particularly in Canada. The wider availability of public resources for disadvantaged children in those countries facilitates the early child development that is fundamental for academic success. All three countries provide stronger social services than the United States, including universal health insurance, universal preschool, paid parental leave, and other supports. The authors conclude that the United States could narrow its achievement gap by adopting public policies that expand support for children in the form of tax credits, parenting programs, and pre-K. With economic inequalities limiting the futures of millions of children, Too Many Children Left Behind is a timely study that uses global evidence to show how the United States can do more to level the playing field.

Narrowing the Achievement Gap

Author : Thomas Timar
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781612501246
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Narrowing the Achievement Gap by : Thomas Timar

Download or read book Narrowing the Achievement Gap written by Thomas Timar and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Closing persistent gaps in educational outcomes between different groups of students has been a central goal of educational policy for the past forty years. The commitment to close existing achievement gaps poses an unprecedented challenge to policy makers, school leaders, and teachers alike, since the causes of those gaps are multiple and complex. For that reason, no single set of policy prescriptions--no matter how well crafted and managed--is likely to be successful. While there is no ready road map for policy makers, the press for solutions is acute. The chapters examine the conditions--both in and out of school--that lead to achievement gaps. However, this book also explores measures for addressing these gaps--measures that, individually and in concert, will prove crucial to any meaningful effort to alleviate these profound disparities. "School performance by black and Latino students has climbed markedly, by a full grade level, over the past two generations. Yet achievement disparities relative to whites have narrowed only slightly, perpetuating a grand canyon of a gap that divides America. This volume replays an instructive history--pinpointing what hasn't worked--and then carves a path forward to build schools that narrow disparities inside classrooms, showing how educators, families, and community activists are pulling together. Each chapter builds from hard evidence, not hopeful rhetoric. It's a must-read for those dedicated to uniting our society--an endeavor in which we all have a stake." -- Bruce Fuller, professor of education and public policy, University of California, Berkeley "An important book by wise authors who have learned the hard way that federal policies to address underachievement in education are failing. Although no one can offer a quick fix for America's educational problems, this incisive book offers promising and realistic measures for helping children who are poor and often racially and linguistically isolated. The authors provide a thoughtful set of alternatives to failed federal policies that have not and cannot address the pernicious achievement gaps that endanger our democracy." -- David C. Berliner, Regents' Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University "This book is essential reading for policy makers, researchers, and educators concerned with closing achievement gaps in American schools. It provides a novel examination of the issues and important, new directions for moving us forward." -- Amanda Datnow, professor of education, University of California, San Diego Thomas B. Timar is a professor and the executive director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education at the University of California, Davis, School of Education. Julie Maxell-Jolly is a senior researcher and the managing director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education at the University of California, Davis, School of Education.

Toward Excellence with Equity

Author : Ronald F. Ferguson
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 392 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Toward Excellence with Equity by : Ronald F. Ferguson

Download or read book Toward Excellence with Equity written by Ronald F. Ferguson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than a decade, economist Ronald F. Ferguson has investigated the myriad factors that combine to create racial disparities in academic performance, ranging from school policies and practices to informal interactions between children and their parents and peers. Toward Excellence with Equity brings together Ferguson's most important articles and most recent thinking on these ideas. Taken together, these essays show that closing achievement gaps is more urgent today than ever before--and that dramatic success is possible. "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 Zone "Toward 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 University "This book combines high-quality research, judicious insights, brilliant speculation, and common sense to set forth strategies to reduce the achievement gap dramatically. It is particularly compelling in calling for a comprehensive social movement that will not only transform schools but establish strong communities, effective parenting, and powerful peer cultures." -- Henry M. Levin, William H. Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University "Ferguson 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 "Toward Excellence with Equity is essential reading for any businessperson who cares about the well-being of children and the future quality of the American workforce." -- Bridgette Heller, Chairman of the Executive Leadership Council and Global President of Johnson & Johnson's Baby, Kids, and Wound-Care Division Ronald F. Ferguson is the faculty cochair and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University and the founder and director of the Tripod Project for school improvement.

Creating the Opportunity to Learn

Author : A. Wade Boykin
Publisher : ASCD
ISBN 13 : 1416614060
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (166 download)

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Book Synopsis Creating the Opportunity to Learn by : A. Wade Boykin

Download or read book Creating the Opportunity to Learn written by A. Wade Boykin and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2011 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Creating the Opportunity to Learn, Wade Boykin and Pedro Noguera help navigate the waters of evidence-based methodologies and chart a course toward closing (and eliminating) the academic achievement gap. The authors maintain that it is possible to close the gap by abandoning failed strategies, learning from successful schools, and simply doing more of what the research shows is most effective. --From publisher's description.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Author : Samuel C. Stringfield
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1135482306
Total Pages : 139 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (354 download)

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Book Synopsis Closing the Achievement Gap by : Samuel C. Stringfield

Download or read book Closing the Achievement Gap written by Samuel C. Stringfield and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2021-01-27 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Closing the Achievement Gap is made up of six articles. The first paper examines Cleveland's restructuring initiative in light of two theories on early adolescent development: person-in-environment theory and the focal theory of change. This is followed by a study that illustrates the difference in academic performance between low-income children and their peers, minority children and their classmates, and those schools that serve a majority of children from low-income families and those that serve a more advantaged population. The third article summarizes key findings of a study that examined the reform efforts of three large urban school districts and a portion of a fourth that had been successful in improving student achievement and reducing racial achievement gaps. It also discusses the implications for research and technical assistance. Next, survey data on 15,800 high school students from three urban school districts is used to investigate the impact of school-level support for higher educational attainment and school racial composition on students' actual educational aspirations. The final article explores whether reading books during summer vacation improves fall reading proficiency and whether access to books increases the volume of summer reading.

Closing the Opportunity Gap

Author : Prudence L. Carter
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199983003
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

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Book Synopsis Closing the Opportunity Gap by : Prudence L. Carter

Download or read book Closing the Opportunity Gap written by Prudence L. Carter and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-26 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the achievement gap has dominated policy discussions over the past two decades, relatively little attention has been paid to a gap even more at odds with American ideals: the opportunity gap. Opportunity and achievement, while inextricably connected, are very different goals. Every American will not go to college, but every American should be given a fair chance to be prepared for college. In communities across the U.S., children lack the crucial resources and opportunities, inside and outside of schools that they need if they are to reach their potential. Closing the Opportunity Gap offers accessible, research-based essays written by top experts who highlight the discrepancies that exist in our public schools, focusing on how policy decisions and life circumstances conspire to create the "opportunity gap" that leads inexorably to stark achievement gaps. They also describe sensible policies grounded in evidence that can restore and enhance opportunities. Moving beyond conventional academic discourse, Closing the Opportunity Gap will spark vital new conversations about what schools, parents, educators, and policymakers can and should do to give all children a fair chance to thrive.

Anatomy of a Model Student

Author : Dr.Tyrone Bennett
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
ISBN 13 : 1514410044
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (144 download)

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Book Synopsis Anatomy of a Model Student by : Dr.Tyrone Bennett

Download or read book Anatomy of a Model Student written by Dr.Tyrone Bennett and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2015-09-24 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The attempts of fixing our nations school system since 1964 have not been a walk in the park. Several legislations and laws have been reformed to improve ways to implement the improvement plans in our school system. Looking back at the anatomy of our education system in the last fifty years brings up very few solutions as to what direction is righteously affordable for the next generation. Whether you talk about equality of education or legislation for the common standards for K12, what really matters is how well our next generation of youth is ready for the twenty-first-century workforce and/or college pathways. This book was written on behalf of students, teachers, and parents, who lack the understanding, guidance, stability, and hope in the twenty-first-century educational system. This is a system of turmoil. We have seen changes over the last fifty years, yet millions of students from elementary to freshmen year in college are suffering academically. Many are failing, and few are making the grade. Our nation ranks below the top 20 worldwide in math and science, and we are not moving fast enough to change it. It is very important to note that students of all ages can benefit from this book to improve their education and get the much-needed support academically through counseling and mentoring. Parents and students need advisement. Students need to know what tools are available to succeed in their academic affairs, and parents need to know if those tools are adequate. Education is the key for success, and perseverance unlocks the door. This book opens the door to a rewarding career and best decision making for a prosperous future and allows students to grasp a better understanding of what it means to be educated. This book gives the essence of where we were and where we are headed. Many students dont know how to study and lack the understanding of why reading is important. Millions of students come to school with raw minds and starving brains. This book looks at the mind of a teenager and the brain. In this book, youll learn about proper nutrition that will enhance the mind and spark the thinking cells. As you read this guide, you will learn more and more answers to readiness for the twenty-first-century workplace and the needed skills to succeed. Anatomy of a Model Student dares to speak out on whats wrong with todays youth and behavior issues that hinder learning. This book is the bible of educational fitness for parents and educators alike. It will empower, encourage, and mesmerize its readers, so please read it to be wise, practice it to be educated.

Learning First!

Author : Carolyn J. Kelley
Publisher : Corwin Press
ISBN 13 : 1452211515
Total Pages : 217 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (522 download)

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Book Synopsis Learning First! by : Carolyn J. Kelley

Download or read book Learning First! written by Carolyn J. Kelley and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2009-08-11 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Combine this research-based, collaborative framework with four critical dimensions of leadership to advance equity and excellence in student learning and close student achievement gaps in your school.

Kids Don't Want to Fail

Author : Angel L. Harris
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674264347
Total Pages : 335 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (742 download)

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Book Synopsis Kids Don't Want to Fail by : Angel L. Harris

Download or read book Kids Don't Want to Fail written by Angel L. Harris and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2011-06-13 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the causes of the racial achievement gap in American education—and then addressing it with effective programs—is one of the most urgent problems communities and educators face. For many years, the most popular explanation for the achievement gap has been the “oppositional culture theory”: the idea that black students underperform in secondary schools because of a group culture that devalues learning and sees academic effort as “acting white.” Despite lack of evidence for this belief, classroom teachers accept it, with predictable self-fulfilling results. In a careful quantitative assessment of the oppositional culture hypothesis, Angel L. Harris tested its empirical implications systematically and broadened his analysis to include data from British schools. From every conceivable angle of examination, the oppositional culture theory fell flat. Despite achieving less in school, black students value schooling more than their white counterparts do. Black kids perform badly in high school not because they don’t want to succeed but because they enter without the necessary skills. Harris finds that the achievement gap starts to open up in preadolescence—when cumulating socioeconomic and health disadvantages inhibit skills development and when students start to feel the impact of lowered teacher expectations. Kids Don’t Want to Fail is must reading for teachers, academics, policy makers, and anyone interested in understanding the intersection of race and education.

The Achievement Gap

Author : Michele Wages
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1475841922
Total Pages : 93 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (758 download)

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Book Synopsis The Achievement Gap by : Michele Wages

Download or read book The Achievement Gap written by Michele Wages and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-09-30 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The achievement gap is one of the most talked about issues in U.S. education. It shows up in grades, standardized test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college completion. This book argues that the focus on the gap is misplaced. Today, we need to look at the societal factors that have accumulated over time and have resulted in poverty level pay for teachers, lack of resources in out poorest schools and an abundance of children entering our schools unprepared. Dr. Wages has written a detailed, well documented book that can serve as an informative resource to create an awareness of the multidimensional and complex issues of poverty.

Changing Policies to Close the Achievement Gap

Author : Cynthia D. Prince
Publisher : R&L Education
ISBN 13 : 9781578861200
Total Pages : 116 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (612 download)

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Book Synopsis Changing Policies to Close the Achievement Gap by : Cynthia D. Prince

Download or read book Changing Policies to Close the Achievement Gap written by Cynthia D. Prince and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2004 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Closing the academic achievement gap is one of the most complex challenges that school system leaders face. Closing the gap became even more urgent with the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act. For the first time, the federal government has set a deadline for closing the gap, requiring schools to bring all students to proficient levels of academic performance in twelve years. How much of the achievement gap can be attributed to what school districts themselves may be doing? What factors and conditions impede progress toward closing the achievement gap? And what can superintendents do to narrow as much of the gap as they can? These questions led to the development of this guide. In Changing Policies to Close the Achievement Gap Cynthia Prince identifies state and local policies that tend to make the achievement gap worse and describes policy changes that superintendents have made with the support of their boards to help narrow the gap. She also examines policies that aggravate the inequitable distribution of quality teachers and principals, that restrict student access to challenging coursework, and that reduce academic instruction time. Prince argues that closing the gap will require serious efforts to change these policies and other conditions that impede the ability of school districts to bring all students to high levels of performance.