The Making of an American High School: The Credentials Market and the Central High School of Philadelphia, 1838-1939

This prize-winning book analyzes the origins and development of the first public high school in Philadelphia, which became a model for secondary schools elsewhere. Using Central High School as a case study, Labaree argues that the American public high school is the product of the struggle between egalitarianism and meritocracy that is endemic to a democratic society. Winner of the History of Education Society's Outstanding Book Award and co-winner of the American Educational Research Association's Outstanding Book Award.