Overview and Introduction to the Education Reform in the 21st Century

Abstract

Introduction

The need to improve access to quality education has come thundering into our national consciousness. Terms such as “achievement gap” and “dropout factories” have made their way into our vernacular. Attempts for scalable education reform have been well documented throughout the past three decades, yet nothing has proved to be a silver bullet solution.

So, how do we fix the education system? This edition of the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal will give the reader a strategic approach to disrupting the current educational status quo and a guide to increasing access to seats in quality schools. Some of the ideas presented in this edition could redefine how education is provided within our schools. For some schools, this could be a zero-sum game in which they lose. For others, it could mean the difference between ceasing operations and expanding enrollment. But most importantly, for the students, this could shift their trajectory. Dropping out could transform into graduating high school, going to college, and securing a stable job in a global economy.