A Curriculum of Control

A firsthand account of the experiences of elementary and middle school students’ daily lives at an underserved urban public school.

A Curriculum of Control illuminates the often-overlooked daily experiences of elementary and middle school students at Baker School, a K–8 urban public school. Based on two years of ethnographic research and the author’s prior teaching experience in a similar setting, this book offers a vivid portrayal of students’ routines, the messages they receive from educators and the broader community, and the ways they navigate a complex and frequently challenging environment. Unlike most studies, this book centers students as the primary actors in education and by doing so compels readers to confront how students’ experiences at Baker School compare with the goals of public education. Focusing on a core group of fourth- and eighth-grade students—Nyeisha, Jayalya, Rashanna, Bianca, and Renee—along with their teachers and families, the book reveals how students navigate, experience, respond to, and resist the school’s curriculum of control.

Author Biography

Nicole Mittenfelner Carl is the Director of the Urban Teaching Residency and Urban Education programs at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She is the coauthor, with Sharon M. Ravitch, of Qualitative Research: Bridging the Conceptual, Theoretical, and Methodological and Applied Research for Sustainable Change: A Guide for Education Leaders.