Examines barriers to the effective recognition and assistance of gifted Black American children, including inadequate definitions, theories, and identification procedures. Discusses rationales for reexamining and broadening definitions and theories of giftedness to make them more applicable to Blacks. Presents prescriptions for change and…

This review of literature examines the status of education in high-need, urban schools. The article begins with a discussion of the issues and challenges experienced in these settings including the resources available, community context, quality of teachers, preparation of future teachers, and the characteristics of students. Following this…

Studies of urban student performance in mathematics and science are reviewed in order to identify factors and processes that might improve student achievement. The first part of this review describes the urban context for education reform, beginning with a description of the demographic characteristics of urban students. The resource context is…

A study examined the effect of a whole-language-type program for learning sentence structure with high school students in a dropout prevention program. Subjects, 60 students in a Chicago, Illinois public school dropout prevention program, were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group and were administered a diagnostic pre- and posttest…

This document presents a report on the educational needs of homeless children in New York City. Data were analyzed from the following sources: (1) review of the current literature on the impact of homelessness on the physical and emotional well-being of children; (2) field-based interviews with 277 families in New York's shelters and hotels; and…

This paper addresses the educational implications of the increasing number of students at risk and reviews the variety of at-risk conditions and circumstances and their indicators. The following topics are discussed: (1) the characteristics and behaviors that define and identify youth at risk; (2) social correlates of educational risk; (3)…

Reviews four books on urban education, discussing prospective policy solutions to improve its condition. Discusses how the books agree or disagree with emerging policy patterns and perspectives and argues that the solution is not linking urban schools to the suburbs, but rather centering the education policy discussion on urban students,…

This packet of seven research-based articles on school improvement summarizes research on educating urban minority youth, discusses discipline and monitoring student progress, and describes four programs for improving elementary school mathematics and reading instruction. "Educating Urban Minority Youth: Research on Effective Practices"…

This study examines the Lao Hmong, an Indochinese refugee group that has resettled in the Denver-Boulder, Colorado, area. Characteristics examined are the following: (1) migration; (2) location; (3) housing; (4) acculturation; and (5) life satisfaction. An extensive literature review discusses the history, ethnography, and culture of the Hmong in…

There is a continuing demographic shift toward a multiethnic school population, but the teacher population includes few minorities. Teacher selection procedures should examine personal qualities such as adaptation, creativity, self-renewal, and moral orientation. Incentives for attracting minority populations to teaching are proposed. (BJV)

The reforms that are most consistent with current arrangements for school governance and administration are unlikely to foster the organizational and professional climates most conducive to student achievement. But the kinds of reforms that might engender better school conditions are inconsistent with existing controls and are, therefore, unlikely…

This paper is for policymakers, advocates, and analysts who understand that the issues surrounding the introduction of more market-based mechanisms into education are complex and who accept the view that evidence is useful in sorting out the issues. It uses the market framework of demand, supply, and market pricing to organize the extensive but…

The smaller the school district, the higher the achievement, when the socioeconomic status and per student expenditure are taken into account. Administrative and parental involvement should be determined by the size of the school district regardless of the socioeconomic level of the community. (BJV)

This book explores the U.S. gang problem, based on the author's 35 years of experience as a high school and junior high school teacher, principal, and community organizer in Oakland and Los Angeles (California). Chapters discuss the subculture of gang worlds, reasons why youth are attracted to gangs, how educators can reach out to students, the…

Describes how some schools are using funding from Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 to apply technology in the schools. Reviews specific requirements for allocating funds in targeted assistance and schoolwide program schools. (SLD)