ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book focuses on one dialect, African American English (AAE), and the research linking this major American dialect to reading achievement. It provides an overview of the Black-White Achievement Gap, the long-standing and unresolved failure of American education to provide equal learning opportunities for its African American students. Low achievement is particularly pronounced for the school-aged population of African American students, and they are the focus of this research monograph. Socioeconomic status (SES) and poverty are often defined in terms of family income levels, which determine access to many important basics for living, including shelter, clothing, food, and medical care. Standard American English (SAE) is used in academic and professional discourse. Educated Americans, regardless of their race, may be speakers of SAE. The ebonics controversy emerged in the mid-1990s and was the center of a prolonged and divisive debate.
