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Meeting the basic educational needs of children and youth

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  • Pallas, Aaron M.

Abstract

This article examines policies and programs designed to meet the basic educational needs of American children and youth, with an emphasis on promoting cognitive skill development through K-12 schooling. Building on an appraisal of the weak technology for promoting cognitive development and the lack of a robust research literature on what works, I examine patterns in educational achievement across the nation, and their association with students' social characteristics, and follow with an assessment of the standing of the U.S. in international perspective. I then consider the federal role in K-12 education, particularly the legacy of the No Child Left Behind Act, and subsequent concerns with increasing teacher capacity and system-changing via increased school choice. Because these policy strategies lack a powerful theory of teaching and learning, their potential for enhancing student achievement remains more a matter of faith than of certainty.

Suggested Citation

  • Pallas, Aaron M., 2010. "Meeting the basic educational needs of children and youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1199-1210, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:32:y:2010:i:9:p:1199-1210
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