Examining Education in a New Era

What Works in Education: Facing the New Century, by Rosa-Maria Torres, analyzes current trends in education and the basic learning needs of young people, and discusses signs of change in this new era. The publication also discusses myths in educational approaches — the “usual gap between adult perceptions of young people and how young people in different contexts perceive their own learning needs and desires,” Ms. Torres writes. Topics include reverse discrimination, peer interaction, preventing negative behavior, and the importance of documenting and evaluating educational programs. A focal point of the publication, she writes, is “the separation of, and the need for synergy between, these three dimensions — policy, action, and research — and all of the actors involved in them.”