In an era of increased attention to academic achievement gaps, expanding educational options has emerged as one approach to meeting the diverse learning needs of urban youth. This multiple-case study uses teacher interviews to investigate the role of extra-organizational factors (e.g., district- or state-level mandates) in shaping teachers' work…

White teacher savior films (WTSFs) depict the teaching profession as one for which conventional credentialing is unnecessary. White teachers with little training and experience perform miracles in urban classrooms where trained, experienced teachers have failed. This same narrative is echoed in alternative credential programs such as Teach For…

Using a social justice orientation to teacher education and a sociocultural approach to learning, this exploratory study presents data from twenty pre-service urban teachers about their perceptions of and visions for teaching in urban schools. Findings reveal candidates' desires to care for and build relationships with urban youth as a foundation…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the topics covered by coaches assisting teachers implementing a research-based drug prevention program and explore how coaching affects student outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: The All Stars drug prevention curriculum is implemented by 16 urban teachers who received four coaching sessions.…

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of preservice teachers' beliefs about the contexts of urban teaching. Participants were in their first semester of a K-6 licensure program designed to prepare them for urban teaching. Interviews and email reflective journal exchanges with the researcher were the data of the study, and…

This paper describes the teaching of an African American educator and her fifth-grade classroom in an elementary school in a working class neighborhood. The paper presents the results of a qualitative study of what makes the teaching of this teacher exceptional. Of the 17 students in this class, 7 speak English as a Second Language. Some are…

This study assessed the influence of reflective thinking on the early field experiences of preservice teachers who later taught in urban settings that were radically different from those they experienced as students. Reflective thinking refers to consciously identifying and defining schooling and classroom problems, generating reasonable…

Parents and professional educators agree that reading competence is a necessary prerequisite for successful achievement in nearly all other aspects of the elementary and secondary school curriculum. Successful school achievement is also seen as necessary for later occupational and economic achievement. It is commonly believed that reading failure…

What are the thoughts of exemplary teachers from high poverty schools on linguistic diversity and cultural responsiveness? What do inner-city children say about their best teachers? In focus groups, faculty and students from high poverty schools were asked about the qualities and characteristics of exemplary urban teachers. One focus group…

A study explored the effectiveness of "rap music" as a method of instruction for urban preschool children. It was hypothesized that urban preschool children would learn more new content (10 unfamiliar names of body parts) in a classroom environment through the use of rap music for instruction, than would children who received instruction…

The Philadelphia Urban Education Network Project is a staff development project that deals with the problems of the urban teacher and the needs of the urban students. Project activities include workshops, conferences, open houses, and teacher exchanges, all of which involve project participants. Staff development workshops are held to aid teachers…