Seven author-contributed papers focus on excellence in urban special education schools. Libby Goodman reviews the isolation of special education teachers and children, in "The Effective School Movement and Special Education," while Dan L. Peterson et al. trace the implications for the Seattle School District of the efforts described in "Effective Schools for All Students: Current Efforts and Future Directions." Margaret C. Wang et al. describe the Adaptive Learning Environments Model in "Staff Development: A Key Ingredient of Effective Mainstreaming." A program for gifted students (elementary to secondary level) in Houston is described by Margaret Kress in "Vanguard: Focus on the Gifted Learner." Chicago's efforts are considered by Alejandro Benavides in "Planning Effective Special Education for Exceptional Language Minorities." Project KIDS of the Dallas Independent School District is described by Ruth C. Wilson et al. in "Early Childhood Intervention in an Urban Setting." The final article, "One School's Search for Excellence," by John Jewell, details four steps undertaken by an alternative middle/high school. (CL)