Conference Call: Reducing The Black-White Student Achievement Gap; The Impact of Social Class on Academic Success 5/10/2004
From: Nancy Coleman, Stephaan Harris, or Karen Conner, 202-775-8810, all of the Economic Policy Institute News Advisory: The stubborn achievement gap between black and white students is a key measure of our country's failure to achieve true equality. National education expert Richard Rothstein finds that focusing on social class differences that affect learning are vital to closing that gap, according to his new groundbreaking book, "Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap." The book explores how differences in aspects of children's lives such as health care quality and access, childrearing styles, and housing quality play a significant part in how well they learn and ultimately succeed. Rothstein also explores how many policy makers are so focused on tougher reforms policies that they often overlook these social differences -- to the detriment of students. For journalists across the country, Rothstein will join a panel of education experts to lead a media conference call on the black-white student achievement gap, what is really contributing to it, and the policy implications for closing that gap. What: National Media Conference Call on Social Class and the Black-White Achievement Gap When: Thursday, May 13, Noon (ET) Who: -- Richard Rothstein, Class and Schools author, Teachers College, Columbia University visiting professor and EPI research associate. -- Arthur Levine, president of Teachers College, Columbia University. -- Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute. RSVP: To obtain the toll-free line and password for this call, contact EPI at 202-775-8810 or e-mail: sharris@epinet.org by 11 a.m. (ET) on May 13 NEWS RELEASE: http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2004/04/050304rothsteinPR-final.pdf PREVIEW EMBARGOED BOOK: e-mail news@epinet.org to request the url, ID and password. The Economic Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan economic think tank founded in 1986. The Institute can found on the web at http://www.epinet.org |