Sense of school belonging has been shown to contribute to a range of academic and psychosocial outcomes, especially among adolescents, and may have particular salience for immigrant students of color, due to their ethnic-racial positionality and frequent marginalization in school. In this study, we examined the ways that immigrant and island-born…

Differentiation is an instructional practice teachers employ to modify their classroom content, process, and products based on student readiness, interest, and learning profile. Many school districts recognize the benefits of differentiated instruction and thus mandate allotted classroom time for its implementation. In this article, we investigate…

In this study, as part of an intervention program in which students and their teachers participated in a school development project, we examined students' perceptions of connectedness to their urban school. A photovoice method was employed to map out the multiple emotions associated with the school connectedness experienced by 61 students from…

This article describes a collaboration between an urban school board and a faculty of education aimed at supporting Indigenous youth transitions to post-secondary education. Drawing upon strengths-based approaches including wise practices, we offer a model for how postsecondary transition events can illuminate pathways for young people to see that…

In the wake of the federal government's retrenchment from urban America in the 1970s and 1980s and the resulting rise in inequality, youth-serving, out-of-school time (OST) nonprofits took on a greater role in supporting urban public schools and students. Since then, many educational OST nonprofits have become enriching spaces for youth outside of…

The volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous future world has highlighted the importance of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation (4Cs) in today's classrooms. Framed by the Partnership for 21st-Century Learning (P21) Learning and Innovation theme, the study investigates the perceptions of the 4Cs by secondary…

African immigrant youth adaptation processes in US schools remain under-researched. Using qualitative case study, this article examines West African immigrant middle- and high-school youth adaptation experiences in US urban schools. Findings show that racialized experiences, English proficiency levels, and multilingualism affected social…

As part of a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project to create culturally responsive curriculum that uses critical spatial thinking and geospatial technologies to address spatial justice in urban neighborhoods, students from a predominantly African American inner-city public high school in Toledo, Ohio participated in two summer workshops…

This study tests the impact of adding Restorative Practices within secondary schools implementing the Diplomas Now turnaround model in 8 large U.S. urban districts on: (a) the severity of disciplinary problems in these schools, (b) the probability that students would be suspended three days or more during the school year, and (c) the chronic…

Positive school climate is associated with myriad positive student, staff, and school outcomes, including increased achievement and decreased problem behavior. Hence, universal evidence-based practices are necessary to increase school climate. One universal approach with evidence of effects on school climate is School-Wide Positive Behavior…

In this article, we reveal the complex and contested nature of principals' understandings of inclusion policy in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Drawing upon critical policy sociology, research into inclusion, and interviews with 18 principals from rural, regional and urban areas throughout the state, the research shows how principals…

Purpose: The purpose of this cyclical action research study was to examine the perspectives of Clyde, a first-year physical education teacher working in an urban intensive environment, as he attempted to implement restorative practices. Methods: Data included semistructured interviews, weekly e-mail communication, text messages, photographs, field…

It has been 50 years since magnet schools were first used to address segregation in public schools. The context of magnet schools has changed dramatically during this time, raising questions about the role of magnet schools in a modern context. This study utilized data from a large urban district with more than 100 magnet schools to assess…

White Savior Industrial Complex (WSIC) encapsulates a myth that non-White communities need White outsiders to rescue them. WSIC is one of many ways well-intentioned outsiders fail to serve communities, and teacher education programs perpetuate WSIC by obscuring race, Black culture, and White privilege. In addition to WSIC theory, the author used…

Improving educational outcomes for Indigenous Australian students is a key strategy to helping Indigenous people reach their full potential. This has resulted in well-intentioned efforts by Australian educators and governments to ensure Indigenous children have positive school experiences. However, Indigenous students still lag behind their…