For Immediate Release
Contact:
Karin K. Freedman/Kyra Jennings
(202) 547-0001
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) will host a Friday Forum on Friday, November 5 at 12:00 pm to debate what schools can do to close achievement gaps for poor and minority children in the United States. This provocative discussion will feature Ross Wiener of the Education Trust and Richard Rothstein of Columbia University, and will be moderated by Jay Matthews of the Washington Post.
There is broad agreement that the achievement gaps faced by poor and minority children are a serious educational and civil rights problem. But beyond this, there is great disagreement on whether and how such gaps can be narrowed. On one side, some education reformers argue that achievement gaps are primarily the result of inequitable educational opportunities, and can be substantially improved by raising standards, quality and accountability in schools in poor neighborhoods. On the other hand, some advocates argue that achievement gaps are only the most visible results of greater social, health, and class inequities, and that schools can do little to address these gaps in the absence of broader social policy reforms.
This PPI forum will bring together prominent advocates of both arguments -- Ross Wiener, Policy Director of the Education Trust, which advocates for higher standards and more education for poor and minority students, and Richard Rothstein, author of Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap -- for a forthright dialogue to address these issues. PPI's Friday Forum program is a discussion series featuring Washington's most influential policy and opinion leaders.
Media interested in attending this forum should RSVP to Kyra Jennings at (202) 547-0001.
Ross Wiener, Policy Director, The Education Trust
Richard Rothstein, Teachers College, Columbia University
Jay Mathews, The Washington Post
Andrew Rotherham, Progressive Policy Institute
PPI Friday Forum: What Can Schools Do to Close the Achievement Gap?
Friday, November 5, 2004
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Progressive Policy Institute
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 400
The 21st Century Schools Project at the Progressive Policy Institute works to develop education policy and foster innovation to ensure that America's public schools are an engine of equal opportunity in the knowledge economy. Through research, publications and articles, a regular electronic newsletter, and work with policymakers and practitioners, the Project supports initiatives to strengthen accountability, increase equity, improve teacher quality, and expand choice and innovation within public education. For additional information, web users may access The Progressive Policy Institute Online or contact PPI's communications office at (202) 547-0001.
