But in the book I do argue against the
intense national focus on standardized tests, which measure a fairly narrow range of cognitive skills and turn out to be not very effective predictors of the
educational goals that I think we should care about, especially college - graduation rates.
When James Coleman, the great sociologist of education, analyzed the school characteristics that had the greatest impact on
educational achievement and equity, he found that schools with greater academic intensity — a persistent,
goal - directed focus on academics — produced not only greater learning, but also narrowed the achievement gap between ethnic groups.30 That such academically focused schools would raise general achievement is obvious since an
intense focus on academics is self - evidently the most likely means to raise academic achievement.