Papers in this issue of the "CEIC Review" were commissioned for a national invitational conference on urban education. The papers provide an overview of research and practical applications of innovative school reforms being implemented across the United States. The many approaches to school reform explored in these papers range along a continuum of parental choice versus best practices. The following papers are included: (1) "Education in Cities: What Works and What Doesn't. Recommendations from a National Invitational Conference" (Margaret C. Wang and Herbert J. Walberg); (2) "School Variation and Systemic Instructional Improvement in Community School District #2, New York City" (Richard F. Elmore and Deanna Burney); (3) "Strategies for Urban Reform: What Works for the Houston Independent School District" (Rod Paige and Susan Sciafani); (4) "The New York State Reform Program: The Incentive Effects of Minimum Competency Exams" (John H. Bishop and Ferran Mane); (5) "Improving Results for Children and Families by Connecting Collaborative Sevices with School Reform Efforts" (Margaret C. Wang); (6) "Trends and Lessons in School-Community Initiatives" (Atelia I. Melaville with Martin J. Blank); (7) "Community for Learning: Connection with Community Services" (JoAnn B. Manning); and (8) "Schools, Community-Based Interventions, and Children's Learning and Development: What's the Connect?" (Katherine K. Merseth, Lisbeth B. Schorr, and Richard F. Elmore). (SLD)