Family mathematics programs, based on family literacy programs, successfully teach math skills to both children and their parents. This digest describes specific strategies for teaching family mathematics. Schools can use these strategies as part of an overall program or as ad hoc family learning activities. In family math programs, program…

Professional development schools (PDSs) were developed to provide a new model for teacher education that enables graduate students to have meaningful classroom experiences while they earn their degrees. This digest describes some of the ways that PDSs can improve the school experiences of urban students. It also describes some of the pitfalls of…

To help guide family literacy program developers in shaping their curriculum, and educators and community leaders in creating independent parenting programs, this digest describes the parenting education component of successful urban programs. In general, family literacy programs have three basic components: adult education, parenting education,…

This digest describes the essential components of college preparation programs for urban and minority youth. The digest suggests that such programs must attend to the cultural norms of the community and their own political contexts in order to increase students' access to, enrollment in, and graduation from college. College preparation programs…

This digest reviews approaches that have been proven effective in preparing urban minority youth for college. Precollege programs that offer comprehensive approaches and combine a variety of services have the largest impact on college access for minority youth in low-income neighborhoods. The most effective programs are of substantial duration and…

In response to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and its amendments, most urban schools have created special programs for homeless students to help them succeed academically and to offer them access to social services and a safe and stress-free environment. Recruitment, enrollment, and service coordination policies are adapted to the…

This paper highlights three models for implementing local restructuring of schools: James Comer's School Development Program; Robert Slavin's Success for All; and Henry Levin's Accelerated Schools. These models have been among the more popular models for restructuring schools in poor, predominantly minority neighborhoods with traditionally…

This digest briefly discusses some ways to involve families in their children's drug prevention education. Helping children and teenagers stay away from drugs and those who use and sell drugs is an important job in which parents and other close relatives play the most important role. Because youth experiment with drugs for the same reasons they…

The three essays of this collection explore the prevention of violence in urban schools. The first, "Preventing Violence in Schools," by Mary Hatwood Futrell and Lee Etta Powell, focuses on how to prevent violence in schools and offers recommendations on what schools and communities can do. The factors contributing to school violence are…

This monograph examines the issue of school violence and the ways to eliminate it. The goal is to return schools to their status as safe havens for children to learn, achieve, and acquire the skills they need to become successful and productive adults. Section I defines school violence and reviews data on its prevalence. Section II discusses…

This digest presents an overview of successful urban anti-truancy strategies, including both supports and penalties for students and their families. It is generally believed that to prevent truancy a sustained, multifaceted, and personalized program for each student must be developed. Community collaboration is essential to these efforts, as the…

It is important for children to have a safe way to spend time after school and to have the opportunity to bolster the education they receive during class with extra learning activities. This guide provides information about after-school programs so that parents can choose the best one for their children. There are good after-school programs in…

This digest briefly describes how educators and schools can foster resiliency in all youth. The starting point for building on students' capacities is the belief by all the adults in their lives, particularly those in their schools, that every youth has innate resilience. All individuals have the power to change, and teachers and schools have the…

Researchers at the Policy Information Center of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) have analyzed information from the National Center for Education Statistics; data from state, city, and other sources; and results from recent surveys of high school students to present a summary of the current dropout situation. The 1995 ETS report, "Dreams…

This digest describes the creation and operation of after school programs for poor urban students. Schools often sponsor such programs and find the advantages to be the credibility lent by the school, continuity of care, and easy access to resources. Some of the disadvantages to school sponsorship are higher personnel costs, the possibility of…