The Bookshelf: April 3, 2014

Trib+Edu is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of public education. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

ON THE SAME TRACK: How Schools Can Join the Twenty-First-Century Struggle Against Resegregation

by Carol Corbett Burris

Drawing on numerous studies and her own experiences and interviews, Burris concludes that tracking causes segregation of those black, Latino and poor students who are identified as low achievers with limited intellectual prospects. Begun early in the 20th century as part of progressive education reform, tracking was seen as “an efficient and scientific way to school students according to their academic capacity, social class, and future life stations.” … Despite overwhelming evidence from research, many parents and teachers vehemently oppose detracking, with reasons that reveal underlying racism. … Burris offers concrete advice for school leaders trying to counter such assumptions, and she argues persuasively that tracking undermines real educational achievement for all students.

For full review, visit kirkus.com

*****

HOLD FAST TO DREAMS: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty

by Beth Zasloff & Joshua Steckel

In 2006, Steckel was recruited to a new Brooklyn high school (the Secondary School for Research) from the college admissions program of a private Upper East Side school. He and his wife, Zasloff (co-author: Hope, Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance, 2008), chronicle the pitfalls he faced as he helped the students navigate the college-admissions process and worked with his existing network of admissions officers and support programs to qualify candidates in innovative and unorthodox ways. The success stories built foundations for others in applying and dealing with the stereotyping, racism and unconscious bias the students encountered as they advanced toward their goals of college admission.

For full review, visit kirkus.com