Social work scholars have increasingly adopted community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to center community voice in research and action to promote youth's healthy development. While valuable contributions have emerged to engage in further dialectical learning processes, limited research has examined in depth the participation,…

This article describes the work of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy[R] (IMSA). Three "case stories" of students from IMSA illuminate some of the: (1) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (2) principles for…

This is the dramatic story behind the transformation of Duke University from an isolated, exclusive institution to the dynamic, civically engaged campus that exists today. "Better Together" examines the first decade of the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership (DDNP) and its involvement with Project HOPE, six quality community-based…

Hip hop culture is typically excluded from conventional educational spaces within the U.S. Drawing on the experiences of an educator who works with urban high school students and university level pre- and in-service educators, this article examines the role of hip hop culture for student engagement in two settings--an alternative high school…

This ethnographic, instrumental case study (Stake 2003) of an atypical youth apprenticeship draws on sociocultural and critical theoretical lenses. Findings reveal that during an eight-month cycle, a paid apprenticeship provided a fertile context for 20 low-income, ethnically diverse, older youths to explore, reflect upon, compose, photograph, and…

Marin City is an isolated African American community located in mostly affluent Marin County, California. Thirty-six percent of households in Marin City fall below the poverty line. This report provides three case studies from the Marin City Families First (MCFF) program, an intervention that aims to develop a model comprehensive child and family…

Julius Bennett was once a disinterested student destined to become a dropout. Then he enrolled in Amistad Academy, an academically focused charter middle school intent on narrowing the achievement gap between urban and suburban kids located in New Haven, Connecticut. Now Julius is making plans for college. In this article the author details the…

School reform leaders from Chicago (Illinois), Denver (Colorado), New York (New York), Seattle (Washington), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and Los Angeles (California) created the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform to work to improve urban education so that all urban youth are well-prepared for postsecondary education, work, and…

This paper focuses on the experiences of Salvadoran refugees who fled their country in the 1980s and came to the United States seeking political asylum during the Salvadoran civil war. The increased number of Salvadoran students in the school districts of Northern Virginia (the Greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area), where more than 200,000…

A case study was done of Central Park East Elementary School (CPE 1), in New York City, a school with a reputation for extraordinary work with students and their families in a student-centered environment. The study includes an overview of CPE 1 culled from the school's descriptions of itself and other public documents; a descriptive narrative of…

Discusses Project YES, a model of urban programming that provides youth with a support structure wherein their voices about pressing social issues can be heard by a wider audience. Youths participate in project-based workshops in which they develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and consensus-building skills. (GR)

The Phi Delta Kappa Study of Students At Risk assessed who is at risk, what puts students at risk, what schools are doing to help those students, and how effective these efforts are. Data were provided on at-risk students in 85 U.S. and Canadian communities by teachers who knew each student best and had access to a student's school records. This…

The Phi Delta Kappa Study of Students At Risk assessed who is at risk, what puts students at risk, what schools are doing to help those students, and how effective these efforts are. Data were collected about 21,706 students, 9,652 teachers, and 276 principals; 65 case studies were completed; and holding power data about 27,250 students in 95 high…

Research suggests that use of a child's native language in initial literacy instruction is beneficial. The Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL) Spanish-language application of the English Reading Recovery Program is described as implemented for one Spanish-speaking first grade boy. The DLL program capitalizes on strengths children demonstrate in reading.…