School Choice or Best Systems: What Improves Education?

The chapters in this book provide an overview of research and practical applications of innovative—even radical—school reforms being implemented across the nation. The original versions of the chapters were presented and discussed at an invitational conference cosponsored by the Johnson Foundation and the National Center on Education in the Inner Cites and the Laboratory for Student Success at Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education. On the basis of intensive discussions and debate, the authors revised their papers, which constitute the main body of this book.

We invited to the conference education leaders and scholars known for their differing views. Also represented were parents, teachers' union leaders, principals, superintendents, and state and federal officials. The overall goals were to provide a national forum for examining findings from the latest and most significant research on school reform and to showcase school systems and programs that appear to be effective in achieving student success.

In addition to addressing the key issues framed by the commissioned papers, conference participants devoted much time to participating in small work groups. They discussed what is known from research and practical applications of the various reform strategies and their

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