New hope for urban high schools : cultural reform, moral leadership, and community partnership /

This book is the story of Dorchester High School in Boston. The groundwork for this case study is represented in great detail with a general history of schooling from 1945 to 2006, along with a thorough description of the impact of government mandates and their effects on schools like Dorchester High School, beginning in the late 1980s. There is little doubt that education since the 1960s has become more complex and unsettled. Such factors as a growing diversity in student population, students with special educational needs, and students with bilingual issues are all affecting our schools and testing educators, including those at Dorchester High. Authors Gonsalves and Leonard believe that the average urban high school is unable to fix itself. They state that the "circle of responsibility extends far beyond the rolls of the school, and that a cultural reform strategy in this expanded community is a requirement for real school improvement." They intend to demonstrate how an alignment of forces, including businesses, legislative leaders, and involved educators, could significantly reform a school. They present numerous and varied stories that underscore the importance of how community partners facing unique challenges can work together to renew and reform our schools. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels. R. C. Morris University of West Georgia