Standardized testing offers the only known way to ensure admissions to universities are based more on merit than on social class. In spite of their limitations, standardized tests do offer the only means to assess scholastic aptitude. A merit-based admissions procedure contributes to the betterment of society by offering educational opportunities to citizens who would be otherwise denied them. Upward social mobility and the ability to participate fully in the political process are possible outcomes of a merit-based educational system.

Effective educators understand the cultural contexts in which they work. In "Culture of Youth and How it Affects Learning," we saw how educators need to work hard to understand youth culture. To relate to their students, teachers must find common ground. Learning the language and values their students use out of the classroom will help those teachers communicate better. Students will be more able to relate to their teachers and to their materials when it is presented in ways that are meaningful to them. This is not to say that schools should pander to popular culture and eliminate classical guidance from the curriculum. Rather, educators have a responsibility to offer students the best possible education. The best possible education is accomplished through listening to students' needs and encouraging them to learn. Teachers can create a learning environment that is conducive to curiosity and caring rather than an environment that creates apathy and discontent.

Students often complain that their teachers do not help them understand the meaning behind their lessons. This ties into what was said earlier about educational aims: school is not just about training but about a broader appreciation of life. If teachers are satisfied with the rote dissemination of knowledge and behavioral training then they are not doing their jobs. Students need to learn how to think critically and creatively and to do so, teachers need to approach their material in ways that stimulate student interest. Awareness of popular culture and student culture will improve student-teacher relationships.

Equally as important as understanding youth culture is understanding how to involve parents more in the educational process. One of the greatest problems with education today is the lack of community and

Schools are viewed as distant, bureaucratic social institutions. Parents leave their kids at this impersonal institution all day and expect that all education takes place within those seven hours. This attitude is destructive for individual students and for the society. A parent who becomes engaged in the curricula, who cares about the learning environment, the school culture, and the approach to learning will fulfill the broader obligations of education. Schools can and should become more integrated into their communities so that parents are more empowered. Empowerment must become a new goal of education: to show that schools will respond to the needs of diverse communities to promote equal opportunity.
Education has the potential to transform society. A curriculum can be constructed around the ideal of education rather than training. When the goal of education becomes spiritual, students will demonstrate greater cognitive and social excellence. To allow education to reach its potential of creating positive social change, public schools should be viewed in their social, political, and historical contexts. The social context of education reveals the overall values and ideologies that are imparted to students, and which underlie educational policy. Ideologies that value equality, diversity, and creativity can be disseminated in the classroom and in the procedures used to govern public schools. The political context of education also shows how the dominant culture shapes the curriculum. Understanding the historical context of education helps us see how social and political change affects changes to the school system.

When education is viewed as a tool for social change as well as a tool for individual development, then parents and communities may become more involved in policy-making. Public schooling is built on the notion that educational opportunity should be conferred equally. If education is not meeting that goal, then we as citizens must discover what must change for this ideal to become a reality.