Overview

6
Can Education Reduce Social Inequity?
Robert E. Slavin
Educators have at hand the proven models they need to enable all children to achieve at high levels.

12
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together? A Conversation with Beverly Daniel Tatum
John O'Neil
A leading psychologist discusses her insights about race and identity.

18
Bridging Inequity with Books
Stephen Krashen
The more books kids have—in libraries, classrooms, and homes—the more likely they are to become good readers.

23
Two Languages Are Better Than One
Wayne P. Thomas and Virginia P. Collier
Native and non-native speakers of English benefit greatly from learning together in two languages.

28
Crossing the Economic Divide
David Reinstein
The author contrasts his teaching experiences in the city and in a suburb of Chicago.

30
Rich School, Poor School
Bonnell B. Goycochea
When comparing student performance at low- and high-poverty schools, educators may be asking the wrong questions.

34
Synthesis of Research
Small Schools: A Reform That Works
Mary Anne Raywid
Size, unconventional organization, and a community setting are the ingredients that make small schools the most promising single strategy for education reform.

40
Using Class Size to Reduce the Equity Gap
Charles M. Achilles, Jeremy D. Finn, and Helen P. Bain
Primary grade classes with an average of 15 students result in higher student outcomes, particularly for minority children.

44
Can Grades Be Helpful and Fair?
Dennis D. Munk and William D. Bursuck
Grading policies that make it possible to send encouraging messages while maintaining equity.

48
Meeting the Educational Needs of Homeless Children
Yvonne Rafferty
Recommendations for easing the troubles of children in dire need of stability at school.

54
Challenging Gender Bias in Fifth Grade
Catherine E. Matthews, Wendy Binkley, Amanda Crisp, and Kimberly Gregg
How to teach students early on to recognize and remedy gender inequities.

58
Breaking the Gender Barrier in the Physical Sciences
Charles Rop
A case study of a veteran chemistry teacher illustrates ways to create a supportive classroom culture for both boys and girls.

61
Parallel Block Scheduling Spells Success
Marcia Delany, Laura Toburen, Becky Hooton, and Ann Dozier
A master schedule allows elementary children to both participate in individualized instruction and work in an enrichment lab.

64
How Summer School Can Provide a Jump Start for Students
Barry Joel Aidman
An intensive summer school program in Round Rock, Texas, strives to help students make gains in reading and math.

70
Very Important Preschoolers
Katy Roberson
Children in a high-poverty area in California find that early success can follow them through elementary school.

73
A Safe and Caring Place
Carolyn R. Pool
A community preschool network in Alexandria, Virginia, shows how to break the cycle of low academic performance.

Special Topics
78
Using the Learning Combination Inventory
Christine A. Johnston
This model identifies four patterns—sequential, precise, technical, and confluent—that every learner displays in varying degrees.

84
Giving Students the (Right) Time of Day
Roger John Callan
Should schools start later in the day when more students are at their peak?

Departments
5
Perspectives: The Fog Around Us
Marge Scherer

88
The Research Link
Gender Differences on Assessments
Andrew S. Latham

90
Reviews

91
Web Wonders
Carolyn R. Pool

92
Letters

94
ASCD in Action