Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition

By: Elise Trumbull, Debra Ingram, Karen Seashore Louis, Floraline I. Stevens, Kenneth M. Zeichner, Robert J. Marzano, JoAnn B. Manning, Belinda Williams, Blanca Quiroz, Patricia M. Greenfield, Bonnie Benard, John A. Kovach

Edited by: Belinda Williams

This second edition of Closing the Achievement Gap argues that if education reform is to work, educators must become more sensitive to the worldviews of disadvantaged students — and incorporate this awareness into their day-to-day work. The authors conclude that teachers, principals, and legislators must learn about cultural perceptions of human development, apply this knowledge to professional development and comprehensive reform, and align political policy accordingly. WestEd researchers Bonnie Benard and Elise Trumbull contribute their respective expertise on youth resiliency and cross-cultural communication in chapters on "turnaround" teachers and cultural values in learning and education.