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

by Samuel Casey Carter

Too many educators make excuses for the failure of most public schools to teach low-income children. But across the nation dozens of high-performing principals have identified those effective practices that allow all children to excel regardless of income level. In this new report, Samuel Casey Carter, a Bradley Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, examines the common practices of twenty one principals of low-income schools who set the standard for high achievement. The lessons uncovered in these case-studies provide an invaluable resource for anyone interested in providing increased educational opportunities for low-income children.

Genres: Education

120 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Gerardo Herrera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dated book. The book takes a top down approach to education. The author does not consider the classroom teacher at all, focusing on the principals and their leadership skills. Has some good advice but mostly not applicable to today’s schools.

[Mark Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 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.

[Emalei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about 2 years ago, but it got me excited about teaching in inner-city schools. This book, along with A HOPE IN THE UNSEEN inspired me to leave the public school system and work for KIPP, a charter school in Los Angeles that serves underprivaleged kids. The book highlights 21 schools and their achievements. Each school gets a 2-3 page explanation along with demographic and other statistical information (including test scores, number of students, grades served, etc.). An easy read and definitely leaves you feeling good!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped me see that belief and attitude are the foundation of high poverty schools and that I needed to change how I teach in order to start turning around my school. I've been inspired to do so much more, and I truly believe now that despite poverty, the neighborhood, parental support, and how far behind we may be, that we can become a high performance school. Excellent book for those seeking to change and grow as a school.