High Stakes: Poverty, Testing, and Failure in American Schools

by Dale D. Johnson, Bonnie Johnson

High Stakes brings the voices of students and teachers to our national debates over school accountability and educational reform. Recounting the experiences of two classrooms during one academic year, the book offers a critical exploration of excessive state-mandated monitoring, high-stakes testing pressures, and inequities in public school funding that impede the instructional work of teachers, especially those who serve children of poorer families. Redbud Elementary has no playground, no library, no hot water, and no art classes. Ninety-five percent of the children qualify for a free breakfast or lunch. Most of the children live with a single parent or relative; some live in homes without electricity, running water, or floors. The authors, who moved from comfortable college professor positions to teach in a poor school district, offer an eye-opening examination of the daily school lives of children who live in crushing poverty and teachers who work under extraordinary stress. Their tale is at times heartbreaking, heartwarming, or infuriating. They explain why many recent educational reforms are off track and argue for more meaningful reforms that can empower teachers and students and better meet the challenges of our communities and the national interest. This second edition updates the story of Redbud Elementary and takes a hard look at the national expansion of accountability from preschool through college. A new final chapter focuses on the national effects of the No Child Left Behind Act as well as states' experiences with mandates and the role of big business in the testing process. This edition concludes with coverage of the so-called silent professionals and opposition to high-stakes testing, and a consideration of the future prospects for American education.

Genres: Education

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2002

Reviews

[Lauryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this literally the night before there was a book talk on it for my student teaching program, and it was a struggle to finish. I've been trying to figure out how to review this without being a rude asshole, so the moral of the story is that while I think the author made good points throughout the book and clearly has a lot of passion for the kids and the field, none of this information was life changing for me because of experiences I've already had and other things I've read before this. Hopefully it made a difference for some of my classmates, but it just wasn't for me.