This volume in the point/counterpoint Debating Issues in American Education reference series tackles the topic of diversity in schools. Chapters explore such varied issues as ability grouping, affirmative action, bilingual education, gender bias, illegal aliens in the classroom, mainstreaming and inclusion, and more.

Table of Contents

• About the Editors-in-Chief
• About the Volume Editors
• About the Contributors
• Introduction
• 1. Should the Courts Be the Primary Focus in Efforts to Achieve Desegregation?
• OVERVIEW Frank Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• POINT Richard C. Hunter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
• COUNTERPOINT E. Lincoln James and Paul E. Pitre, Washington State University
• 2. Are Multicultural Counseling Programs in Schools Needed to Improve the Academic Performance of Students?
• OVERVIEW Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• POINT Deneia M. Thomas, Eastern Kentucky University Lynda Brown Wright, University of Kentucky
• COUNTERPOINT Jennifer L. Burris, Katrina A. R. Akande, and Sonja M. Feist-Price, University of Kentucky
• 3. Are Traditional University Preparation Programs the Best Way to Prepare Teachers and Administrators to Teach Diverse Student Populations?
• OVERVIEW Frank Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• POINT Martin Scanlan, Marquette University
• COUNTERPOINT Carl Byron Keys, II, University of Virginia
• 4. Can Race to the Top and Related Programs Improve Underperforming Schools?
• OVERVIEW Frank Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• POINT William J. Miller, Southeast Missouri State University
• COUNTERPOINT Muhammad Khalifa and Nimo Abdi, Michigan State University
• 5. Is Aid to Schools Under Title I the Best Way to Close the Achievement Gap Between Students Who Are Economically Disadvantaged and Those Who Are Not?
• OVERVIEW Frank Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• POINT Paul E. Pitre and E. Lincoln James, Washington State University
• COUNTERPOINT James E. Lyons, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• 6. Is Aid to Schools Under Title I an Appropriate Strategy for Closing the Achievement Gap Between Minority and Majority Students?
• OVERVIEW Frank Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• POINT Richard C. Hunter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain Clare Beckett-McInroy, Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
• COUNTERPOINT James E. Lyons, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• 7. Given School Dropout Rates, Especially Among Poor and Minority Students, Should College Attendance Be the Norm for All U.S. Students?
• OVERVIEW Richard C. Hunter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
• POINT Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• COUNTERPOINT Valerie Hill-Jackson, Brandon Fox, and Rachel Jackson, Texas A&M University Marlon C. James, Loyola University Chicago
• 8. Does Incorporating Elements from Popular Culture, Such as Hip-Hop, on School Campuses Help Public Schools Serve Diverse Student Populations?
• OVERVIEW Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• POINT Latish Reed, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Natalie A. Tran, California State University, Fullerton Christopher N. Thomas, University of San Francisco
• COUNTERPOINT Dana Griffin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 9. Should All Forms of Ability Grouping Be Eliminated in Schools?
• OVERVIEW Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• POINT Tiffany R. Wheeler, Transylvania University
• COUNTERPOINT Deborah A. Harmon, Eastern Michigan University
• 10. Do Current Funding Structures and Districting Criteria of Public Education Marginalize Ethnic and Racial Minority Students?
• OVERVIEW Frank Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• POINT Robert C. Knoeppel, Clemson University
• COUNTERPOINT Enid Beverley Jones, Professor Emeritus
• 11. Are English-Only Models the Most Appropriate Means for Teaching English to English Language Learners?
• OVERVIEW Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• POINT Linwood J. Randolph, Jr., Chapel Hill-Carrboro (North Carolina) City Schools Xue Lan Rong, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• COUNTERPOINT Patrice Preston-Grimes and Wendy W. Amato, University of Virginia
• 12. Should Gender Be Applied as a Diversity Criterion in Educational Programming and Placement?
• OVERVIEW Richard C. Hunter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
• POINT Wayne D. Lewis, University of Kentucky
• COUNTERPOINT Cosette M. Grant, Pennsylvania State University Greater Allegheny
• 13. Is the Full-Service Community School Model for Involving Parents and Community Members From Diverse Backgrounds Useful in Furthering Equitable Educational Opportunity Among Majority-Minority School Populations?
• OVERVIEW Richard C. Hunter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
• POINT Dana Griffin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• COUNTERPOINT Natalie A. Tran and Miguel Zavala, California State University, Fullerton
• 14. Should Pull-Out Instructional Programs Be Retained Under Title I's Compensatory Education Provisions?
• OVERVIEW Richard C. Hunter, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
• POINT John A. Oliver and Miguel A. Guajardo, Texas State University–San Marcos
• COUNTERPOINT Latish Reed, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
• 15. Should Gender-Based Student Loan Forgiveness Be Used to Increase the Percentage of Male Teachers and Administrators in Public Schools?
• OVERVIEW Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• POINT Paul Green, University of California, Riverside
• COUNTERPOINT Mona Bryant-Shanklin, Norfolk State University