Publisher's Synopsis
Many schools now claim to have closed the achievement gap. But it is unclear if these schools have genuinely accomplished this feat or if, instead, they have engaged in some academic sleight of hand. In some areas, educators have been threatened with dismissal or offered bonuses for higher student test scores - tactics which have caused some desperate educators to change student answers on state exams or drive poor test-takers out of their schools entirely. In education, we should expect miracles. But we should not demand them. It is time to look at the true causes of the achievement gap and explore solutions which will provide opportunities for all students. There is a way to bridge the achievement gap. However, the solution has surprisingly little to do with our schools. Instead, the answer lies in the way we communicate with our children during the first few years of their lives.
