Asking the Right Questions About Schools: A Parents' Guide.
Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002.
ISBN: 0-8108-4179-7
(Book information at Amazon.com, the Publisher.)
Chrys Dougherty is Director of Research at the National Center for Educational Accountability, affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin. One of the NCEA's major efforts is the Just for the Kids web site, which displays very detailed student achievement data for public primary and secondary schools around the USA. The design of the data presentations is primarially due to Dr. Dougherty. Within its field, the Just for the Kids web site may be the most comprehensive data source available. I encourage any parent considering a public school for their child to examine that data.
Dr. Dougherty's book is a practical guide for parents of children attending any type of school, public or private. He is relentlessly focused on encouraging parents, students, and educators to persue the highest standards in education. His book shows, in very practical terms, how to direct and motivate schools, parents, and students to obtain the best education possible for students.
Some recommended books on education policy issues:
- The Schools We Need: And Why We Don't Have Them, by E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
- We Must Take Charge: Our Schools and Our Future, by Chester E. Finn