No Excuses: Lessons from 21 High Performing, High Poverty Schools

There are many high-performing schools in high-poverty areas across the nation, and NO EXCUSES: Lessons from 21 High-Performing, High-Poverty Schools by Samuel Casey Carter is an insightful look into their missions. Published by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank whose mission is to promote public policy, Carter's accumulation showcases public, private, religious and charter schools that serve poor students in both the inner city and rural areas from the East, West, North and South. The book is structured into categories beginning with Effective Practices, which list some denominators that make for high-performing schools, such as Basic Skills, Dollars and Sense and Testing. The next section highlights twenty-one schools, their location, grades served, number of students, percentage of students considered low-income and median test percentiles. As you read about each school, you will find historical information of the schools' performances. The principals offer their mission statement and post comments as to what they feel are the necessities for children to learn. One common thread, regardless of the economic conditions a child comes from, all have the ability to learn and all can learn at a high level. Another common school of thought touted is poor performance is the result of poor teaching, plain and simple. Finally, the book ends with several appendices which list educational reform models, research summaries and titles for further reading. While I find the book a good tool to utilize for teaching strategies, creative spending and ignoring the powers that be, I notice the limited writings on parental involvement and effective discipline. There is a section on Parental Accountability within the Effective Practices category, which lists some innovative ways to involve parents. While the aforementioned is good in theory, if a parent chooses not to be involved in their child's education, the consequences are few if any, especially in public and charter schools. Some principals state they cannot depend on parents being involved, and the accountability eventually falls to the child; when you create an environment for learning, everyone-children, parents and teachers alike, fall in line. Still, more is needed on effectively dealing with behavioral issues short of termination from the school. Yes, you have leverage to terminate within private schools, children often return to their public school. Still, there is virtually no discussion of discipline techniques, the effects of poverty, parental neglect, drug addicted children and parents and the list goes on. Pundits would say these are more excuses but actually it is the reality of our world. Schools are representative of the neighborhoods in which we live. You cannot deal with one and not the other and be effective in teaching and learning. What NO EXCUSES offers is a sampling of teaching strategies others may certainly want to explore. Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves

Samuel Casey Carter strongly asserts in his introduction "America's public schools have utterly failed the poor" (p. 7). The book is meant to prove that there are no excuses for the under educating of poor children and assures the reader that the success stories therein are replicable anywhere. Carter lists seven common traits these schools share, then delineates five effective practices essential to their success, followed by an abstract of each school. Although Carter attempts to persuade, the reader may find herself taken aback and even offended at some of the quotes and concepts. For example, in the discussion of effective practices in regards to teachers, Carter says, "Above all else, high-performing schools use the hiring and firing of staff to communicate the ideals of their mission" (p. 22). Once past the initial distaste caused by such critical comments, there is much to be gained by close examination of this book. As a teacher in one of the highest-populated, highest-poverty level areas of the country, this reader's emotions, hopes, and dreams ran the entire gamut of possible reactions through the entire book. The author brings many positive ideas to light. It can be appreciated that the schools studied range in philosophical and political beliefs, yet share the commonality of a focused curriculum. While most of them use back-to-basics type curriculums, there are a few that are more developmentally based. Measurable goals, teamed with regular assessment, is another important way these schools find weaknesses that need addressed, whether being applied to students or teaching practices. Family involvement is another strength of these schools. Responsibility for learning lies with the students. Teamwork, meaningful staff development, and shared vision are additional hallmarks of high-performing, high-poverty schools. These, coupled with material support from their principals sets teachers up for success. While this reader was looking for inspiration and direction, it was definately found, but not without an accompanying sense of discouragement. It must be noted that the strong points of each school have been successful because they were implemented in a school-wide manner. One could point out greats such as Jaime Escalante and claim that similar success could occur for an individual teacher. In actuality, the only way for a single teacher, or a single school to replicate such amazing success is to have the support and freedom it takes to make a difference, or to take the freedom at risk of whatever repercussions might come. Is it realistic to assume that any school can replicate these results? Until school boards turn a little of the control over to local schools and principals, it seems doubtful. Nevertheless, the gauntlet has been thrown down. "Our children come to school facing a lot of challenges. But it's our job to make those challenges bring out their best," (Patsy Burks, Owen Elementary, Michigan, p. 68).

If there's any book that works like a coach in a locker room giving a half-time pep talk, this is it. The tone is inspirational and invigorating and Carter identifies several important points that educators need to tune into in order to be better teachers. Yet....Yet there is something bothering me. For all the important emphasis on teacher and administrator improvement (a priori knowledge in recent educational debates), there is a heavy reliance on standards. Listen: No teacher is opposed to standards. It would be tantamount to saying I am against breathing. But just what those standards are and who sets them and who measures them--that is the debate. Maybe it is the emphasis that Carter places on the importance of Direct Instruction as an instructional method that bothers me. DI has been widely advocated in educational certification programs as the standard modus operendi for classrooms instruction and it relies heavily on behavoralistic methods of learning: skill and drill, frequent assessments, highly scripted teacher stimuli and highly structure student response. Carter says that we have built too much into studying how children learn and forgotten to teach them. While this is catchy, I disagree: we must be cognizant of our students abilities when instructing them. It reminds me of one of my favorite teacher jokes. Did you hear about the teacher that went home and taught his dog how to whistle? ....No? She didn't learn, but he taught him.But I still endorse this book. The 21 different schools are important for someone looking for other schools that have gone ahead with reform programs and that may be beneficial.

The book is outstanding and very inspiring. A must read for any teacher.