American public schools are facing a crisis of confidence as America penetrates more deeply into the era of The No Child Left Behind Act. The statute requires the standards to rise each year until the year of perfection, 2014-when 100% of the students are required to meet annual yearly progress (AYP). There is varied discussion among credible education groups that the year of perfection is unrealistic since not all children come to school equally ready to learn. Universal standards that do not account for differences in student readiness create an uneven measure. That is where this book comes in. The Forces Behind School Change: Defining and Understanding the Call for Perfection is intended to be a resource for schools of affluence and also for schools of poverty. This classic dichotomy is at the center of the tension.

Tim Carman argues that there is hope amid all the tension. The Forces Behind School Change will provide school communities with the knowledge and skills to close the achievement gap. In addition to dozens of best practice ideas that schools will need, this book also spotlights how to use the most up-to-date information on the brain to help students achieve educational excellence and provides hope, confidence, and the know-how to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of insuring that every child, no matter their background, will meet the high academic standards that are required.