ABSTRACT
In Shaker Heights and elsewhere in the nation the Black community, school authorities, education policymakers, and researchers are searching for ways to improve the academic achievement of Black students. We have identified four approaches pertinent to our research, namely: (a) choice (e.g., voucher plan), (b) performance contract, (c) cooperative learning (e.g., accelerated learning, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Comer, etc.), and (d) culturally responsive pedagogy. Common to these approaches is an assumption that conventional public school policies and practices are the reasons why Black students are not academically successful.
