Summarizes findings of diverse multi-year studies conducted by the Systemic and Policy Research team of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. Results of 16 projects and more than 300 case studies suggest that efforts to implement diverse reforms are more likely to succeed when educators at different levels share…

Reviews the history of violence in schools, focusing on types and frequencies of violence and the factors that are related to school-based violence. Presents strategies that teachers and other school staff can use to decrease the likelihood of violence. (SLD)

A study was conducted to compare the criminal behavior of gang members and nongang at-risk youths in four urban and suburban communities, Denver (Colorado), Aurora (Colorado), Broward County (Florida), and Cleveland (Ohio). The first three communities were emergent, rather than chronic, gang environments, but in Cleveland, information on gangs…

Alternative schools are defined in this report as schools or programs targeting students who are unsuccessful in the traditional school environment. These schools often see their mission as one of dropout prevention. Certain features are usually associated with alternative schools, including a clear mission, a small enrollment, a more personal…

Draws on quotes and ethnographic material from many studies to illustrate some of the parenting strategies that help inner-city African American youth overcome risks and achieve success. Groups strategies that are: (1) youth-monitoring; (2) resource-seeking; and (3) in-home learning. (SLD)

Juxtaposes research on school-age programs with studies of self-care and out-of-school activities, discussing what each type of after-care arrangement involves and how prevalent it is. Reviews research on how the arrangements contribute to children's development and examines program features especially related to outcomes for children. (SLD)

This report summarizes the findings of some recent pivotal studies of class size, especially as they relate to students at risk. Of particular note is a large-scale study of class size, which was designed to test the conclusions of G. Glass and M. Smith (1978) and G. Robinson (1990) about the advantages of small class size. This study, Project…

No tool has promoted educational reform more completely than coordinated school-linked services. This paper integrates results of a cross-program analysis examining 6 coordinated school-linked service programs for widely implemented practices and results of a quantitative synthesis of 44 studies of the effects of school-linked programs on…

Protective factors that contribute to the development of resiliency in children, defined as "unusually good adaptation in the face of severe stress, and an ability of the stressed person to rebound to the prestress level of adaptation," are discussed. The biological, psychological, familial, and social factors related to disadvantages…

The primary job of parents is to ensure safe passage for their children from infancy through adolescence to adulthood. Research has indicated many things schools can do to turn the privilege of safe passage into a right. Three research-based programs that work to achieve safe passage are described. The first is Caring Connection, a "one-stop-shop"…

Catholic schools have had astonishing success in working with inner-city children. Recent research has confirmed that the performance of students in Catholic schools surpasses that of urban public school students, usually at lower cost. A recent survey also indicated that 83% of public school parents and 82% of inner-city poor parents want…

This paper focuses on instructional processes and the interactions of students and teachers found to be associated with higher achievement in the basic skills of students in urban schools. Current knowledge regarding the effects of particular classroom processes (instructional and organizational) is reviewed. The "Follow Through"…

This report is an overview of recent research on the effects of class size on the academic performance and behavior of students at risk. In several ways it is not a conventional literature review. It emphasizes one recent large-scale investigation, Tennessee's Project STAR (Student-Teacher-Achievement-Ratio), begun in 1985. It is more evaluative…

This report provided the U.S. District Court hearing the Liddell case about school desegregation in St. Louis (Missouri) in 1996 with a review of research on promising programs, reform designs, and school components that have been found to support or enhance achievement among historically disadvantaged students. Specific steps are proposed to…

Examines African American youth's encounters with three forms of violence--eyewitnessing, victimization, and participation--to determine its spread in urban schools, the types of violence encountered, the sociodemographic factors associated with the encounter types, and whether there is any overlap among those who witness, are victims of, and…