Chapter 8: Professional Development to Strengthen Department Chair Instructional Leadership Capacity: Advancing Social Justice in Urban High Schools

The trend toward standardization and accountability for student learning outcomes in the United States, particularly since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act, has forced schools to examine the performance of student groups in much greater detail than previously practiced. The disaggregation of academic results has, in many cases, revealed glaring inequalities in achievement and success across student groups. These disparities are most apparent when comparisons are made between students based on differences in race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, levels of English language competence, and other special needs. Within urban high schools, these achievement gaps raise critical social justice questions, which challenge traditional structures, instructional practices, and beliefs in meeting the needs of all students.