"One of the very few [reform strategies] that has documented significant gains over time . . . I wish I had had the benefit of learning from the Comer process."
–School Administrator

"There is blood in Comer’s process; his is not another icy technocratic ‘solution’ to education’s ill, driven by disrespect and threat. Quite the contrary. SDP is both insistent and humane, a rare combination. And it works."
–Theodore R. Sizer, Brown University

This volume presents specifics of the School Development Program holistic model in action, a plan that received the 1996 Heinz Award for improving the quality of American education. Topics discussed include children’s psychosocial development, group dynamics of effective school communities, teacher preparation and school/university partnerships, appropriate alignment of classroom content to standardized tests, increased student engagement and learning time, research and evaluation, community health, government initiatives, and school/business partnerships.