Cynthia Castiglione presents Near North Montessori School's (Chicago) adolescent community's approach to technology. Her framework begins with the needs of the adolescent for social independence, social acceptance, and social justice. Using that template, she defines seven keys or characteristics that make up the technological environment:…

Rick Mosher's coining of the word "Urbkinder" reminds us that the city provides a broad environment for learning with key experiences being defined by the student's choice of in-depth involvement. Quoting John Long, these city experiences are real, engaging, connected to thought, allow for personal reflection, and rely on the teaching…

In the 21st century, adolescent girls use the power of the pen (and digital literacies) for the purpose of self-expression, personal enrichment, and academic requirements. This study examines in-depth the types of writing/literacies that girls participate in school and out-of-school. The results of this study indicate that, despite the extensive…

There are few examples of NGSS specific projects at the high school level, particularly those linking chemistry and engineering practices. Further, there are few studies that provide concrete examples of how such projects can support students' submicrorepresentations (SMRs). This study reports on the implementation of an NGSS-aligned…

Magnet high school attendance seems to lead to improved academic performance (Cobb, Bifulco, & Bell, 2009; U.S. Department of Education, 2008; Yu & Taylor, 1997). Likewise, perceived social support has been linked with positive outcomes for adolescents, including improved academic performance (Rosenfeld, Richman, & Bowen, 2000; Demaray & Malecki,…

This paper argues that hip-hop music is an effective way to reach previously marginalized urban youth and to teach them critical and analytical skills necessary for succeeding in school. It suggests that students learn more effectively when motivated, and hip-hop music is a tremendous motivating force for urban youth. It is also a legitimate voice…

This study examined the hostile responses of adolescent African American males to acts of racial discrimination as a function of audience presence, noting attributions of personal control. Participants were 250 male African American students in grades 9-12 in an urban multiethnic high school who completed the Discrimination Response Index (DRI).…

This research derives from the most recent wave of a longitudinal study of nearly 500 families in urban Philadelphia neighborhoods collected over a 9-year time span. Earlier findings revealed remarkable continuity in success trajectories from early to mid-adolescence despite hazards imposed by poor neighborhoods, low economic standing, and poor…

This study of high school students argues that American high school classes continue to be unsuccessful and boring to students because they artificially separate intellectual achievement and social development of adolescents. To understand how students view their high school priorities and the role of their experiences in the transition from…

Identifies the pressures and problems in adolescents' family, peer, and school worlds that they perceive as having impact on their learning. Interviews with 55 ethnically and academically diverse urban youth show problems with social worlds and transitions and the social, emotional, and educational consequences of these problems. (SLD)

The goal of this study was to extend what is currently understood regarding attitudes toward the homeless population. The study focused on how homeless and nonhomeless adolescents attribute the causes of homelessness. Grounded in attribution theory, the study hypothesized that nonhomeless adolescents would ascribe causality to dispositional or…

The relationship between psychosocial and cultural factors as potential mediators of intercultural group conflict among adolescents was studied. The study population for this ongoing study consists of mostly adolescent males aged 13 to 18 years who are attending court schools in California, and who are likely to be on probation or in restricted…

The reading and writing behavior of nine mentally retarded Black adolescents enrolled in secondary level special education classes in an urban school district were analyzed. Data were collected on 11 language tasks which included drawing, forming letters and numbers, and general print production. Ss were also requested to answer…

This collection of handouts from a workshop on meeting the needs of at-risk urban students stresses the necessity of empathy and involvement in working with disadvantaged youth. The first handouts, "I Remember When I Was a Teenager," and "Teens Need To Have Adults That...," remind the adult youth worker of adolescent…

An examination of the incidence of eight activities believed to be associated with gang membership indicates different patterns of gang involvement for urban Black and Hispanic males. The following activities are examined: (1) perceived advantage in gang membership; (2) hanging out where gang members hang out; (3) having friends identified as gang…