1. The flat world, educational inequality, and America's future. Education in our flat and changing world
How America is losing ground
The legacy of educational inequality
2. The anatomy of inequality : how the opportunity gap is constructed. Poverty and lack of social supports
Limited early learning opportunities
Resegregation and unequal schooling
Unequal access to qualified teachers
Lack of access to high-quality curriculum
Dysfunctional learning environments
3. New standards and old inequalities : how testing narrows and expands the opportunity gap. The prospects and pitfalls of standards-based reform
Testing without investing
When new standards meet ongoing inequalities
4. Inequality on trial : does money make a difference? The legality of unequal school funding
How money makes a difference
Under what conditions can money matter?
5. A tale of three states : what happens when states invest strategically (or don't)
The cases of Connecticut and North Carolina: strategic resources used well
The case of California: when mismanagement meets aggressive neglect
6. Steady work : how countries build successful systems. The Finnish success story
Korea's climb to extraordinary attainment
How Singapore became a "learning nation"
Educational leap frog: the common practices of steeply improving countries
7. Doing what matters most : developing competent teaching. A global contrast
Building an infrastructure for quality teaching
8. Organizing for success : from inequality to quality. The need for major redesign
Designing schools for teaching and learning
Creating systems of successful schools
9. Policy for quality and equality : toward genuine school reform. Meaningful student learning
Intelligent, reciprocal accountability
Equitable and adequate resources
Strong professional practice
Schools organized for student and teacher learning
