Schools

Abstract

This chapter discusses the conflicts between the social and individualized benefits of schools for different groups of students, how they have been institutionalized through various educational reforms over time, and what promises they suggest for the future. Many scholars remain optimistic about the contributions schools can make toward overcoming social inequalities, but the capacity of schools to attain these aims remains unresolved. Beginning with a brief history of education in the U.S. through the present day, this chapter highlights the challenges and pressures schools have in providing equal educational opportunities to a student population that is continually growing in size and diversity with regard to background characteristics such as race/ethnicity, native language, and socioeconomic status—all while being held to increasingly rigorous and uniform standards of educational outcomes. The chapter concludes by examining the limits of school reform and how social and psychological factors affecting students, their families, teachers, and peer groups are part of the reform equation that needs further attention if progress is to be made in achieving a more equitable educational system.