So Much Reform, So Little Change: The Persistence Of Failure In Urban Schools

by Charles M Payne
So Much Reform, So Little Change: The Persistence Of Failure In Urban Schools cover
Good Books rating 4.12
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  • ID: 4060
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
fordhaminstitute.org · Unknown · 2025-10-21
inspiring 4.50

The book explores the importance of character education in shaping successful, productive, and happy adults, highlighting the impact of trauma and the role of mental health professionals in supporting students. It presents compelling evidence on the importance of attachment and the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral principles in educational settings.

The book delves into the significance of character education in fostering successful, productive, and happy adults, emphasizing the profound impact of trauma on students from diverse backgrounds. It contrasts the experiences of students from impoverished urban schools with those from affluent private schools, illustrating the emotional suffering and anxiety prevalent in both settings. The author highlights the pioneering efforts of educators and mental health professionals who are integrating cognitive-behavioral principles into their curricula, resulting in observable improvements in academic and social outcomes. The book also underscores the crucial role of clinicians in addressing mental health issues that interfere with education and promoting healthy relationships through attachment-based interventions.

Quick quotes

    The book opens by introducing the reader to young people who are growing up in Roseland-a Chicago slum. For these individuals, the question is not if there is trauma, but rather how toxically it has been dosed.

    The book primarily examines the interplay between psychology and its application in the educational setting, Tough does not ignore the importance of clinicians.

    Since the book presents compelling evidence on the importance of attachment, the author says “Psychiatrists and psychologists can work with parents and children to aid in healthy relationships” and gives an example of this within the text.

beta.thestorygraph.com · Unknown · 2025-10-21
convincing 4.00

The reviewer discusses Paul Tough's book 'How Children Succeed', which emphasizes the importance of noncognitive skills like perseverance and self-control in a child's success. The book highlights various programs and approaches that aim to instill these skills in children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The reviewer appreciates the book's focus on character development and its potential to shift the education reform conversation.

Paul Tough's 'How Children Succeed' presents a compelling argument for the importance of noncognitive skills in a child's success. The book starts with scientific data showing how high levels of stress, often associated with extreme poverty, can affect a child's ability to focus and exercise self-control. Tough argues that these deficits can be overcome with the right support, and that it may be easier to improve a teenager's emotional management skills than their IQ. The book explores various programs, such as KIPP schools' character report cards and the OneGoal program in Chicago, which aim to teach these crucial skills. The reviewer finds the book's focus on character development refreshing and believes it has the potential to change the education reform conversation. However, they note that the book doesn't provide clear answers on how to implement these findings on a large scale.

Quick quotes

    Kids won’t succeed unless, along with the 3R’s and all the other cognitive skills that schools are charged with inculcating, they also learn noncognitive skills like focusing, persevering and delaying gratification.

    These skills aren’t necessarily measured by test scores, but they can be far more important in determining who gets ahead not only in school but in life.

    Giving kids an education that doesn’t equip them to succeed in life not only makes no sense, it just isn’t fair.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-21
intriguing 3.50

How Children Succeed by Paul Tough explores the factors that contribute to success, focusing on noncognitive skills like grit, curiosity, and self-control. The book argues that these traits are more important than IQ or academic input for achieving success in school and life. However, the reviewer wishes the book had delved deeper into how to develop these skills.

Paul Tough's How Children Succeed delves into the question of why some people succeed while others fail, focusing on the role of noncognitive skills. The book presents a compelling argument that traits like grit, self-control, and perseverance are more important than IQ or academic input for success in school and life. The reviewer appreciates the book's focus on these often-overlooked skills but wishes it had provided more practical guidance on how to develop them. The book's narrow definition of success, primarily centered around academic achievement and college attendance, is a point of criticism. The reviewer also notes that the book acknowledges the limitations of conventional education but does not explore alternative paths to success.

Quick quotes

    We've all encountered grown men and women who seem trapped in a destiny preordained by their childhoods, and we've all met people who seem to have almost miraculously transcended harsh beginnings.

    According to this new way of thinking, the conventional wisdom about child development over the past few decades has been misguided. We have been focusing on the wrong skills and abilities in our children, and we have been using the wrong strategies to help nurture and teach those skills.

    Noncognitive skills matter for children's success: self-regulation, self-control, managing emotions, staying focused, resilience, perseverance.

researchgate.net · Unknown · 2025-08-07
insightful 4.50

The book challenges traditional notions of success and emphasizes the importance of character development in children. It argues that qualities like grit and curiosity are crucial for long-term success and provides practical advice for nurturing these traits.

The book challenges traditional notions of success and emphasizes the importance of character development in children. It argues that qualities like grit and curiosity are crucial for long-term success and provides practical advice for nurturing these traits. The author uses a journalistic approach to explore the complexities of character, highlighting how it can bridge academic, economic, and personal hardships. The book is highly recommended for parents, teachers, and school administrators as it offers insightful perspectives on fostering character strengths in children.

Quick quotes

    The impact of success and achievement, therefore, is multiplied over the generations.

    Tough concludes that in order for children to become successful adults, there is a desperate need for focused character development.

    I highly recommend parents, teachers, and school administrators add How Children Succeed to their bookshelf.

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