For many years up until 1997, Korea was widely seen in economic and financial circles as something of a miracle. The financial crisis that Korea experienced then did much to set its economy back, but by 2001 it was still the 13th largest economy in terms of GDP in the world.
This enticing collection, with contributions from experts with an impressive knowledge of Korea and its economy, charts not only the well documented causes of the crisis, but more importantly, its response and recovery from it. With an admirable scholarly rigour, the book covers such topics as:
*the origin and...

Private schools always provide a better education than public schools. Or do they? Inner-city private schools, most of which are Catholic, suffer from the same problems neighboring public schools have including large class sizes, unqualified teachers, outdated curricula, lack of parental involvement and stressful family and community circumstances. Straightforward and authoritative, All Else Equal challenges us to reconsider vital policy decisions and rethink the issues facing our current educational system.

-A must read for those seeking high standards for all students. With unusual insight, the authors address the major issues, offering inspirational examples of schools that succeed.- --Jerome T. Murphy, professor and dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education

This timely, tough-minded book shows how American public schools can be saved by instituting high standards for academic achievement. It explains not just what the standards movement is about and why it is important, but also what it will take to bring every student up to high standards, no matter where that student...

Contemporary public policy assumes that the achievement gap between black and white students could be closed if only schools would do a better job. According to Richard Rothstein, "Closing the gaps between lower-class and middle-class children requires social and economic reform as well as school improvement. Unfortunately, the trend is to shift most of the burden to schools, as if they alone can eradicate poverty and inequality. "In this book, Rothstein points the way toward social and economic reforms that would give all children a more equal chance to succeed in school.

The author contends that the narrow testing of reading and maths in American public schools can give a false picture of their attainments. He argues for a new kind of accountability plan for public education, one that relies on higher quality testing, focuses on professional evaluation and builds on capacities we already possess.