A landmark study from one of the nation's top educators

First published 20 years ago, A Place Called School is the revolutionary account of the largest on-scene study of U.S. schools ever conducted. Data were gathered from more than 27,000 students, teachers, and parents, and over 1,000 classes were carefully observed by trained researchers. The result is this book. Written by one of the nation's most astute and experienced educators, Goodlad's message of optimism and his agenda for improvement have only grown in importance since the book's original publication.

"The Goodlad study has attracted special interest, both for its unusually large amount of data and for the author's long activity as a teacher and researcher."--The New York Times

"One would be hard pressed to imagine a better study within the realm of reasonable human effort."--Washington Post

"He provides compelling evidence that what we have will not do, and that only a thorough revolution can bring the reality of the school closer to its ideal."--Newsweek

John I. Goodlad is president of the Institute for Educational Inquiry and a founder of the Center for Educational Renewal at the University of Washington. The author of more than 30 books on education, Goodlad has received numerous national awards in recognition of his work in the field.