Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), discourse about public education in the national media has risen to a deafening crescendo. Missing the forest for the trees, the leading story on the education beat often ignores the critical racial dynamics at work in public schools. As a result, media messages that trumpet rising test scores as evidence of progress, for example, turn a blind eye to racial inequities that children of color face in schools everyday.

A Handy Guide

The guide provides reporters, parents, organizers, educators, activists and writers with the tools needed to ferret out the story behind the story–the hidden dimension of race. Important information about various provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act is included in this newly revised resource on education policy.

Chapters Include:

Issue Briefs on race and NCLB in the areas of Reading Instruction, Accountability, Testing and Teacher Quality.

Race Revealed offers sample news articles and information on racial disparities in special education, segregation, and drop out and graduation rates.

Resources offers a brief glossary of terms and contact information for key experts and organizations.

Beyond the Headlines

Resource for Parents, Teachers & Students:

A free slide show that provides a glimpse into what Reporting on Race, Education, and No Child Left Behind: A Guide for Journalists has to offer. It walks the audience through the contents of the handbook, and provides in-depth racial analysis of two major provisions of the law: accountability and teacher quality.