Drawing on a rich store of material that includes visits to nearly sixty public schools nationwide and hundreds of interviews conducted from the classroom to the White House, Thomas Toch--one of America's leading educational journalists--has produced an award-winning book of impressive breadth. Measuring its progress in clear, compelling prose, Toch offers readers the full story of today's school reform movement. He reveals that there is intense opposition within the ranks of public educators to the movement's academic aims, that the damage inflicted on the nation's students by standardized testing is far greater than has been generally reported, and that new graduation requirements have failed millions of students. Toch also provides a detailed account of the role played by the powerful National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, while shedding new light on controversial topics such as school choice and why students drop out of school. Finally, and of crucial importance to all who are committed to improving our schools, the book proposes a further agenda for the nation's school reformers. Public education today stands at a crucial crossroads. In the Name of Excellence explains why, and reveals the prospects for the nation's schools in the years ahead. It is essential reading for parents, educators, and policymakers alike.