Editor's Introduction
Sam Stringfield

The editorial team at JESPAR works to present a balanced mixture of case studies, research articles, and book reviews, all focused on improving the academic achievements and other outcomes for students who are at risk of academic failure. Volume 6, number 4 is another strong addition to this effort.

Our two case studies demonstrate that not only is progress theoretically possible, it is being achieved in diverse locations. Joanne Meier's Book Buddies in the Bronx: Testing a Model for America Reads presents a clear case of a low-cost method for achieving academic achievement gains in a very high poverty urban context. In a very different, rural Southern context, Sheldon Etheridge's Title I Schoolwide Programs: District Support for Achieving Success provides equally clear evidence that district support can be provided in a way that improves the academic achievement of at-risk students.

Our five research articles also present both intervention- and context-diversity, while following the theme that improvement in desired outcomes is a practically achievable goal. T. Mark Beasley's Influence of Culture-Related Experiences and Sociodemographic Risk Factors on Cognitive Readiness Among Preschoolers explores variables related to cognitive readiness among preschoolers. Angela Rickford's The Effect of Cultural Congruence and Higher Order Questioning on the Reading Enjoyment and Comprehension of Ethnic Minority Students examines cultural issues in the very important areas of reading enjoyment and comprehension among minority students.

Wim Van de Grift's Inclusion and Adaptive Instruction in Elementary Education is the first in what we hope will be many articles bringing a wider world of analyses into the "at-risk" literature here in the US. A range of studies and experiences indicate that researchers from outside the US both read and reference U.S. researchers, while U.S. researchers rarely read or reference studies from outside their boundaries. If U.S. policy and practical folks truly hope to develop "world class" schools, especially for at-risk students, we're going to have to learn what the world is doing. Often this stretch isn't easy. We worked with the Dutch team to produce an article that was both true to their research and understandable to U.S. readers. The very act of trying to make things that are common to one's own country and literally foreign in another clear to both parties is a task that begins exploring commonalities and differences. We welcome Dr. Van de Grift's team to JESPAR.

The final two research articles return to the theme of activist intervention. Thomas Edwards' description of a mathematics-focused summer camp in an inner city and Lawrence Hanser's description of the use of career academies both make the case that academic achievement gain among at-risk populations is achievable in our time.

Volume 6 closes with six excellent book reviews. George Noblit begins with a thoughtful and somewhat introspective assessment of The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy. A theme of The Big Test is that such measures as the SAT have a tradition of discriminating against, among others, African American males. This same theme forms the background for Malcolm Bonner's review of African American Males in School and Society: Practices and Policies for Effective Education, focusing on practical methods for improving the education of African American males.

Robert Rueda reviews a volume summarizing one of the absolutely necessary steps along the road to improving the educational opportunities provided to all young people, Evaluating teachers for professional growth: Creating a Culture of Motivation and Learning (Bereens, 1999). This in turn is a core piece of the volume reviewed by Dr. White-Hood: How to turn a school around: What Principals Can Do (Perez, Milstein, Wood, & Jacquez, 1999).

I generally look askance at editors publishing their own writings, but made an exception for my review of Donald R. McAdams'(2000) remarkable, Fighting to save our urban schools. . . and winning. This is a remarkable book that, for several reasons, deserves a quick and very positive review. The volume documents the long-term improvement of one of America's very largest school systems, and in so doing, points to the importance of both superintendents and school boards. Not incidentally, it is an excellent introduction to Houston's former school board member and former superintendent: President Bush's appointment to Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige.

This issue marks the end of JESPAR's Volume 6. It also marks the end of Dr. Faustine Jones-Wilson's formal tenure as one of JESPAR's associate editors. Dr. Jones-Wilson's experience, wisdom, and hard work have been central to the successful development of JESPAR. We have repeatedly offered her the title of co-editor, which she certainly deserved. With her ever-present patience, she has explained that when she was the editor of the Journal of Negro Education, she could hardly rest until each issue came off the press, and that she then began worrying about the next issue. By contrast, Faustine would smile and say, now that I'm emeritus, and the associate editor of a different journal, if my husband and I choose to take a vacation to Alaska, we just go. I allow the editors the worries about final production of JESPAR.

In fact, Dr. Jones-Wilson worked as hard on JESPAR as any of the rest of us, and it's incomprehensible that she was more responsible with the Journal of Negro Education. Throughout her 6 years at JESPAR, we never produced an issue that was significantly late off the presses, and she helped constantly improve our content. While JESPAR will survive without Dr. Jones-Wilson, we on the editorial team are guaranteed to miss her wisdom, her grace, and her unrelenting editorial eye. Thanks for everything, Faustine. Have a glorious retirement.