Leveling the Playing Field
Justice, Politics, and College Admissions
Robert K Fullinwider author Judith Lichtenberg author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Rowman & Littlefield
Published:19th Mar '04
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Leveling the Playing Field examines the admissions policies of contemporary American colleges and universities in light of the assumption that enhancing the educational opportunities of lower-income and minority students would make American society more just. It asks how current admissions policies affect the prospects of such students, and it evaluates alternative approaches. The book treats a variety of topics relevant to answering these questions. What does it mean to reward people according to merit? Is the American system of higher education a meritocracy, and should it be? How do the missions of contemporary institutions of higher education bear on admissions? What are the implications of the Supreme Court's landmark affirmative action decisions of 2003? What is the proper role and significance of standardized tests like the SAT? How does 'lower' education prepare students, or fail to, for higher education? In answering these questions, the book examines legacy preference, early admissions policies, financial aid, the test-prep industry, college counseling, and athletics, evaluating their effects on the distribution of higher education in the United States, not only for lower-income and minority students but for college-bound students in general.
This provocative, engaging, and timely book deserves a wide audience. It provides a lens through which the world of selective college admissions can be viewed in a new and insightful way. -- Morton Owen Schapiro, president of Williams College and co-author of The Student Aid Game and Keeping College Affordable
Largely balanced and thoughtful critique of the status quo and of the means that have been used in the past to reform it. * Library Journal *
A terrific book, and a wonderful model of how to do applied normative philosophy. It pursues hard and interesting questions of value in the context of detailed and careful empirical analysis of the situation in higher education. ...I hope that everyone who works in philosophy of education and applied normative philosophy generally will read the book and learn from it... I also hope that policymakers and college officials will read it and implement their recommendationssss -- Harry Brighouse, Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin
Well-reasoned, well-informed, comprehensive, and accessible—this excellent book is the right place to start for understanding how the college admissions process shapes educational opportunity in America. -- Michael McPherson, president of The Spencer Foundation
A terrific book, and a wonderful model of how to do applied normative philosophy. It pursues hard and interesting questions of value in the context of detailed and careful empirical analysis of the situation in higher education. ...I hope that everyone who works in philosophy of education and applied normative philosophy generally will read the book and learn from it... I also hope that policymakers and college officials will read it and implement their recommendations -- Harry Brighouse, Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin
ISBN: 9780742514119
Dimensions: 228mm x 160mm x 16mm
Weight: 358g
280 pages