Burch (educational policy studies, U. of Wisconsin-Madison) investigates the growing trend in American public education in which activities and roles are being transferred from the public to the private sector under new forms of education contracting, and the implications of these changes. Coverage includes an overview of the trend and its origins; the financial and operational activity of the largest of the K-12 education industry firms; the political activities driving the new privatization; and case studies of the after-school tutoring market, the growing market for virtual charter schools, and the rise in contracting for benchmark assessments tied to NCLB and other accountability mandates. Burch concludes with a discussion of problems in current education policy, identification of levers for strengthening policy, and a call for greater transparency in the new educational privatization. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Drawing on analytic tools, The New Educational Privatization examines specific domains that the education industry has had particular influence on-home schooling, remedial instruction, management consulting, test development, data management, and staff development.

Across the U.S., test publishers, software companies, and research firms are swarming to take advantage of the revenues made available by the No Child Left Behind Act. In effect, the education industry has assumed a central place in the day-to-day governance and administration of public schools-a trend that has gone largely unnoticed by policymakers or the press until now. Drawing on analytic tools, Hidden Markets examines specific domains that the education industry has had particular influence on-home schooling, remedial instruction, management consulting, test development, data management, and staff development. Burch's analysis demonstrates that only when we subject the education industry to systematic and in-depth critical analysis can we begin to demand more corporate accountability and organize to halt the slide of education funds into the market.