Controversy erupted in 1996 when the Oakland Unified School District’s ‘Ebonics Resolution’ proposed an approach to teaching Standard English that recognized the variety of English spoken by African American students. With new demands for accountability driven by the No Child Left Behind policy and its emphasis on high-stakes testing in Standard English, this debate will no doubt rise again. This book seeks to better inform this next episode.

In Part 1, leading scholars place the debate within its historical and contemporary context, provide clear explanations of what Ebonics is and is not, and offer practical approaches schools can and should follow to address the linguistic needs of African American students. Part 2 provides original documents that accompanied the debate, including the original resolutions, legislation, organization position papers, and commentary/analyses from leading linguists. This book is written for all those whose work impacts the lives of Ebonics speakers in our public schools.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1: Ebonics in the Urban Education Debate
1 Terrence G. Wiley: Ebonics: Background to the Current Policy Debate
2 John R. Rickford: Using the Vernacular to Teach the Standard
3 John Baugh: Educational Implications of Ebonics
4 Geneva Smitherman: Black Language and the Education of Black Children: One Mo Once
5 Subira Kifano and Ernie A. Smith: Ebonics and Education in the Context of Culture: Meeting the Language and Cultural Needs of LEP African American Students
6 Carolyn Temple Adger: Language Varieties in the School Curriculum: Where Do They Belong and How Will They Get There?
Part 2: Background to the Ebonics Debate
Introduction
Oakland Unified School District’s Resolution
Examples of Legislative Reaction
Legal Background
Linguists’ Reactions
Organizational Responses
Recommended Readings on Ebonics