This document contains a collection of essays written by students in General Educational Development (GED) programs. The students had dropped out of high school and are now seeking an equivalency diploma. In the essays, students discuss why they quit school, how well they did in school, what they learned there, and whether it was difficult for…

High school educators and students appear to have struck an implicit "bargain" that results in a deemphassis on academic learning. This book analyzes current proposals to enhance educational standards in light of the influence of this bargaining in classrooms. In so doing, it explores recent scholarship bearing on personal relations and…