My apologies to iconic hip-hop artists, De La Soul for I have shamelessly appropriated the title, "Stakes is high" to underscore the importance of the work ahead for educators, students, parents, community members, and researchers as we attempt to develop a generation of what I call "new century" students for a world we can hardly imagine. Through…

Introduces a collection of essays by four educators who have dealt extensively with issues of race and its various manifestations. The four essays address fundamental issues about how race as a social reality has shaped, and continues to shape, the lives of people in the United States. Through the lenses of different academic disciplines, the…

Describes the historical efforts of economically, politically, and socially oppressed black communities across the segregated U.S. south to give their children a quality education, highlighting rural Prince Edward County, Virginia. In an attempt to circumvent Brown v. Board of Education (1954), white leaders closed every public school in the…

Race has been the major determining factor in the development of education for Blacks in the United States. Blacks have always opposed White educational oppression and taken every opportunity to educate themselves. Suggests ways that Blacks can continue to combat racism in education. (FMW)

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) plan moves toward proficiency in basic-skills development but ultimately shrinks the notion of educational excellence for all children, occasioning fallacies but not addressing compelling matters that relate to quality, equity and academic achievement for all students. The plan would set up public schools as examples of…

Describes five dimensions of multicultural education, focusing on the knowledge construction process in order to show how the cultural assumptions, frames of reference, and perspectives of mainstream scholars and researchers influence the ways in which academic knowledge is constructed to legitimize institutionalized inequity. (Author/SLD)

Charts the forward and backward movements of African Americans in education since the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, noting both obstacles and success factors that have shaped the black educational experience at elementary, secondary, and higher levels. Influences on black students' achievement and college attendance are described.…

Discusses three educational issues: (1) the quality and equality of educational access; (2) the narrowing of the pipeline to higher education; and (3) the diversity of the teaching force. (MW)

D. M. Stewart draws no implications for connecting African history and culture to academic achievement. Racism continues to exist; and only education that leads to cultural liberation, political solidarity, and economic strengths will prevail against it. Howard University must see itself as a center for academic and cultural excellence. (SLD)

D. M. Stewart does not adequately portray the problems, or sufficiently assess socioeconomic and political realities with respect to African Americans today. The lack of neutrality and objectivity in standardized tests must be recognized, and alternative forms of assessment are imperative to provide equal access to education for African Americans.…

African-American students are beginning to make significant educational strides as measured by tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Stereotypes of race and racism in the United States are exploding, and African Americans must continue to demand universal quality education. The role of Howard University in making this happen is explored. (SLD)

Investigates the relationship between Chapter 1 and regular classroom teachers' estimates of test content coverage (opportunity to learn) and mathematics achievement of 89 fourth graders (65% were African American and 35% were white) in Chapter 1 mathematics instruction. Results indicate the importance of measuring students' opportunity to learn…