The question posed in this analysis is: What is the relationship between text-centered dialogue and reading comprehension? This article examines one student's behaviors while reading challenging texts. This qualitative case study explored the verbal behaviors of Robert (pseudonym), a seventh-grade student receiving reading intervention. As his…

This case study describes how culturally relevant pedagogy can be used in disciplinary rigorous ways in an urban middle school history classroom. The focus is on a unit about the Johnstown Flood of 1889, which provided a setting for teaching about the event as well as the historical thinking practices of contextualizing, sourcing, and…

This exploratory design experiment investigates Black male youth's participation in a science-learning environment designed to conceptualize the practice of critique as improvisational performance. The research highlights the young men's deployment of a linguistic practice, signifying, used to co-construct and enact the practice of collaborative…

This article reports findings from a quasi-experimental study of the impact of a summer robotics program for urban middle-grade students. The study focuses on student engagement, measured by school attendance rate the year following the program. Program students, who were nearly all low-income minority students, were matched to comparison students…

The effects of a mathematical problem-solving intervention on students' problem-solving performance and math achievement were measured in a randomized control trial with 1,059 7th-grade students. The intervention, "Solve It!," is a research-based cognitive strategy instructional intervention that was shown to improve the problem-solving…

Past studies have shown positive correlations between the arts and academic achievement when the arts were integrated into the literature curriculum. Other studies have shown positive associations between the arts and other areas of the curriculum, such as mathematics and science. Considering the Theory of Change, which employs understandings in…

The present case study investigated the impact of a short-term summer literacy approach on writing performance and self-perception of writing for young adolescents of low-income families residing in urban housing projects. The approach offered intensive literacy engagement to offset summer achievement loss; assisted ethnic-minority, low…

The lack of achievement of students from high-risk and high-poverty environments necessitates changes in today's middle school environments to create a caring, supportive environment where all middle school students can succeed. This study investigated the classroom learning environments of resilient, average, and nonresilient minority students in…

In this article, we argue that preparing and maintaining a cadre of culturally responsive teachers is critical to improving urban education and achieving educational equity. We discuss a collaborative, social-justice-oriented approach to teacher preparation committed to developing a stable and effective teaching force reflective of the student…

Investigating variables associated with the school success and educational resilience of urban youth of color should be a high priority because of the persistent achievement gap in the United States. The current study examined individual and peer factors' relation to the school engagement of 132 seventh- and eighth-grade students from a diverse…

Describes a 90-minute lesson on urban nature writing that was taught as part of a 12-week journal writing course for middle school students. Notes class discussions debating "what is natural" as an inspiration for "urban nature writing." Considers differences in discussion between the grade levels 6-8. Concludes that benefits…

Attempts to help students think critically about violence and masculinity in order to point out options for life beyond their urban neighborhood. Builds activities around events and characters from the book chapters, striving to bring the seventh graders to a broader awareness of the prevalence of violent masculinities. (SG)

Describes the probability and statistics component of an experimental mathematical science and communications program. Some of the successes and failures are considered. (PK)

A sexual assault and dating violence prevention program presented in an urban middle school was evaluated to assess its influence on knowledge and attitudes of an intervention group of 46 and a comparison group of 20 African American 7th graders. Results support the need for early prevention programming among youths in inner city schools. (BF)

Determined changes in attitudes toward science from the end of the first semester to the end of the second semester among 299 seventh-grade life science students in a southeastern urban school system. Results reveal that the average attitude toward science changed from undecided to positive. Significant relationships were found among the…