Pedro A. Noguera

Schools, Prisons, and Social Implications of Punishment: Rethinking Disciplinary Practices

Throughout the United States, schools most frequently punish the students who have the greatest academic, social, economic, and emotional needs. An examination of which students are most likely to be suspended, expelled, or removed from the classroom for punishment, reveals that minorities (especially Blacks and Latinos), males, and low achievers are vastly overrepresented. The enactment of zero tolerance policies related to discipline in school districts has contributed to a significant increase in the number of children who are being suspended and expelled from school. This article explains why this has occurred and puts forward an alternative approach to discipline that is aligned with the educational mission of schools.

Racial Politics and the Elusive Quest for Excellence and Equity in Education

This article examines the factors that influence the development of educational policies and practices designed to ameliorate the achievement gap in relatively affluent school districts. To provide a context for understanding the issues surrounding efforts to promote educational equity, the article begins by describing initiatives undertaken by schools in the recently established Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN). The remainder of the article draws on research collected from a 4-year study carried out at Berkeley High School (BHS) to illustrate how racial disparities in academic outcomes are influenced by the structure of opportunity within schools and how efforts to address inequities often become politicized. The goal is to use the case of BHS to show how political factors complicate efforts to reduce racial disparities in student achievement and to make it clear why political strategies, rather than educational strategies alone, are needed to respond to the racial achievement gap.

Social Capital and the Education of Immigrant Students: Categories and Generalizations

nterest in research on the educational experiences of immigrant students has increased dramatically in recent years. It is not surprising that this greater interest has coincided with the largest influx of new immigrants in U.S. history. It has also occurred at a time when communities outside Americas large urban centers are grappling with how to adjust to the new immigrants. The Somalis in Lewiston, Maine; the Dinke in Fargo, North Dakota; and the Hmong in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, are just some of the groups whose experiences defy past generalizations and conventional wisdom on the relationship between immigration and education. After considerable debate over how to

How Listening to Students Can Help Schools to Improve.

In this article, findings from a study of 150 10th-grade students attending 10 Boston public high schools are presented. Data obtained from surveys and interviews with the students in the study are used to illuminate how student perspectives on their school experiences can be used to strengthen reform efforts. Themes such as teacher-student relationships, the impact of high stakes testing, concerns about discipline and safety, and student goals and motivation are explored. Implications for how such a research strategy can be used to assist efforts to improve urban high school are proffered to policy makers and school district leaders.

Confronting the urban in urban school refor

The ways in which urban schools respond to and are affected by the urban environment are explored through a case study analysis of Lowell Middle School, located in the West Oakland section of Oakland, California. The connection between the social environment and urban schools is generally ignored in most school reform initiatives. The unwillingness of policymakers to confront the environmental aspects of the problems facing urban schools is due to the often unstated belief that nothing can actually be done to address the plight of urban areas. In many of these communities, the urban public school is one of few social institutions that provide a degree of stability and social support to the individuals and families that are served. As the only public agency charged with serving all young people regardless of their status, the urban school has the potential to play a leading role in the revitalization of urban areas. This possibility is explored within the context of ongoing efforts at Lowell Middle School to promote educational reform by bridging the gap between the school and the community.

Saving Black and Latino Boys: What Schools can Do to Make a Difference:

Solving the educational challenges facing black and Latino boys is an American responsibility, not just the responsibility of the black and Latino communities.

A Broader and Bolder Approach Uses Education to Break the Cycle of Poverty.

Making bold assertions that all children can achieve while doing nothing to address the challenges they face is neither fair nor sound public policy.

Patriotism and Accountability: The Role of Educators in the War on Terrorism

APRIL 2006 573 W HAT ARE the responsibilities of educators while our nation is at war? This is not a question that comes up at most conferences or workshops on education, even though anyone familiar with our work as educators knows that it is nearly impossible to avoid taking a stance on the issue. Should educators be expected to promote patriotism and support for the military effort in Iraq or Afghanistan? If our students seek our advice and counsel, should we encourage them to enlist? Or should we tell them that the decision is theirs to make? What about the Patriot Act? Should we urge our students to accept curtailments of our civil liberties as a necessary sacrifice in the “war on terrorism,” a war against a stateless enemy that is not confined to a particular territory? Or should we

Responding to the Needs of the Whole Child: A Case Study of a High-Performing Elementary School for Immigrant Children

Changes in the demography of the nations public schools are occurring at a dramatic pace. In states such as California, Texas, and Florida, new immigrants comprise more than a third of the student population. In major cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, they comprise more than 40% of the student population. Similar changes are occurring in small towns and rural areas throughout the country. This article examines (a) how Washington Elementary, a suburban school, has responded to these dramatic demographic changes; and (b) why this particular school has produced dramatic academic success among immigrant students when so many other suburban schools have not. This article focuses on understanding the schools practices and their implications for literacy achievement. It focuses on whether the interaction between organizational and programmatic practices and the implementation of these reform practices produced a transformative effect upon the school and student learning.

Supported and Unsafe: The Impact of Educational Structures for Immigrant Students on School Safety

We draw upon the case of Seacrest High School to show that the extensive, physical separation of U.S.-born and immigrant students, as well as targeted supports for immigrant students absent similar attention to the rest of the student body, undermine the conditions necessary for a safe school. Seacrest community members expressed conflicting and conflicted perceptions concerning the extent to which immigrant students should receive differential treatment and the extent to which they should be physically isolated. These perceptions, which evoked concerns about fairness and educational efficacy, put the school’s legitimacy into question and threatened its ability to ensure safety. Despite misgivings, the structure was insulated in part by a web of racial stereotypes about Asian immigrant and African American students. We conclude that educational practices for English language learners should be evaluated by their effects on school culture and particularly on school safety.