The Bush administration currently supports the concept of school choice as a means to counter the negative effects of public school systems that have not maintained standards of excellence. Futhermore, this administration, along with some policy advocates and practitioners, contends that parental choice plans will improve the quality of education for low-income minority students who are at risk for school failure. This article argues against this policy proposal from historical and sociocultural perspectives.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
America 2000: An education strategy. (1991). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
2.
Anderson, J. A. (1988). Cognitive styles and multicultural populations. Journal of Teacher Education, 39, 2-9.
3.
Ascher, C. (1986). Black students and private schooling. Urban Review, 18, 137-145.
4.
Astuto, T. A. , & Clark, D. L. (1992). Challenging the limits of school restructuring and reform. In A. Lieberman (Ed.), The ninety-first yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education (pp. 90-109). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
5.
Beady, C. H. , & Hansell, S. (1981). Teacher race and expectations for student achievement. American Education Research Journal, 18, 191-206.
6.
Bell, J. C. (Ed.). (1986). Famous Black quotations and some not sofamous. Chicago: Sabayt.
7.
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 482 (1954).
8.
Chinn, P. C. , & Hughes, S. (1987). Representation of minority students in special education classes. Remedial and Special Education, 8(4), 41-46.
9.
Clark, D. L. , Astuto, T. A., & Rooney, P. M. (1983). The changing nature of federal education policy in the 1980s. Phi Delta Kappan, 65, 188-193.
10.
Clark-Johnson, G. (1988). Black children. Teaching Exceptional Children, 20, 46-47.
11.
Comer, J. P. (1989). Child development and education. Journal of Negro Education, 58(2), 125-139.
12.
Cuban, L. (1990). Reforming again, again, and again. Educational Researcher, 19(1), 3-13.
13.
Darling-Hammond, L. , & Kirby, S. N. (1985). Tuition tax deductions and parent school choice: A case study of Minnesota (Report No. R-3294-NIE). Santa Monica, CA: RAND. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 273 047)
14.
Duffey, J. B. , Salvia, J., Tucker, J., & Ysseldyke, J. (1981). Nonbiased assessment: A need for operationalism. Exceptional Children, 47,427-434.
15.
Eyler, J. , Cook, V., & Ward, L. (1982, March). Resegregation: Segregation within desegregated schools. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, New York.
16.
Futrell, M. H. (1989). Mission not accomplished: Education reform in retrospect. Phi Delta Kappan, 71, 8-14.
17.
Gay, G. (1975). Teachers' achievement expectations of classroom interactions with ethnically different students. Contemporary Education, 46, 166-172.
18.
Irvine, R. W. , & Irvine, J. J. (1983). The impact of the desegregation process on the education of Black students: Key variables. Journal of Negro Education, 52(4), 410-422.
19.
Kaplan, G. R. (1991, May 22). Watch out for America 2000: It really is a crusade. Education Week, pp. 36, 27.
20.
Kauffman, J. M. (1989). The regular education initiative as Reagan-Bush policy: A trickle-down theory of education of the hard-to-teach. Journal of Special Education, 23, 256-278.
21.
Kauffman, J. M. , & Hallahan, D. P. (1990, October 24). The politics of special-education "backlash."Education Week, pp. 25, 27.
22.
Lazerson, M. (1983). The origins of special education. In J. G. Chambers & W. T. Hartman (Eds.), Special education policies: Their history, implementation, and finance (pp. 15-47). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
23.
Lynch, E. W. , & Stem, R. (1982). Perspectives on parent participation in special education. Exceptional Education Quarterly, 3, 56-63.
24.
MacMillan, D. L. , Hendrick, I. R., & Watkins, A. V. (1988). Impact of Diana, Larry P., and PL 94-142 on minority students. Exceptional Children, 54, 426-432.
25.
Maddaus, J. (1988). Families, neighborhoods and schools: Parental perspectives and actions regarding choice in elementary school enrollment. Dissertation Abstracts International, 49, 477-A. (University Microfilms No. 88-06, 952)
26.
Massey, G. C. , Scott, M. V, & Dombusch, S. M. (1975). Racism without racists: Institutional racism in urban schools. Black Scholar, 7, 10-19.
27.
McIntyre, L. D. , & Pernell, E. (1985). The impact of race on teacher recommendations for special education placement. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 13(3), 112-120.
28.
Mercer, J. R. (1974). Apolicy statement on assessment procedures and the rights of children. Harvard Educational Review, 44, 125-141.
29.
Mizell, M. H. (1968). The south has genuflected and held on to tokenism. Southern Education Report, 3, 19-21.
30.
Moran, R. M. (1984). Excellence at the cost of instructional equity? The potential impact of recommended reforms upon low achieving students. Focus on Exceptional Children, 16(7), 1-12.
31.
National Black Child Development Institute, Inc. (1986). 1986 NBCDI annual report. Washington, DC: Author.
32.
Pallas, A. M. , Natriello, G., & McDill, E. L (1989). The changing nature of the disadvantaged population: Current dimensions and future trends. Educational Researcher, 18(5), 16-22.
33.
Raywid, M. A. (1987). Public choice, yes: Vouchers, no!Phi Delta Kappan, 68, 762-769.
34.
Reschly, D. J. (1984). Beyond 10 test bias: The national academy panel's analysis of minority EMR overrepresentation. Educational Researcher, 13(3), 15-19.
35.
Tucker, J. A. (1980). Ethnic proportions in classes for the learning disabled: Issues in nonbiased assessment. Journal of Special Education, 14, 94-105.
36.
Wayson, W. W. , Mitchell, B., Pinnell, G.S., & Landis, D. (1988). Up from excellence: The impact of the excellence movement on schools. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
37.
Weiler, D. (1974). A public school voucher demonstration: The first year at Alum Rock (Report No. R-1495-NIE). Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
