This authoritative book carefully examines the shifting terrain of educational policy and why now, more than ever, we must bring equity back to the center of educational reform. Drawn from recent empirical studies of critical issues in education policy, well-known scholars present new analyses of the current status of past reforms, such as desegregation, ability tracking, and affirmative action, and investigate more recent reforms, such high-stakes testing, vouchers, and charter schools. They also examine historical, economic, and political conditions that generate inequalities in educational opportunity.