The effects of professional teacher dispositions on student development have been widely documented. Yet there is limited discussion of the impact of socially just dispositions. The present study critically examines the relationship between justice-oriented mind-sets in preservice teachers and their perceptions of teaching in urban schools. Using…

This article presents a 2-year critical case study of an urban high school innovating to enhance the academic performance of low-income Latina/o students, highlighting high-leverage practices that promote boundary crossing between school and community. First, we highlight foundational elements of school logic, mission, and community ethos that…

This article demonstrates how a well-designed and collaboratively supported program engages school faculty in improving at-risk student retention and transition to college. Using the "power of the site" principle, the program designers envisioned a very different high school culture that focuses on a collaborative and supportive relationship…

This article reports on a multiple case study that explored teachers' and families' collaboration in two urban and four rural state elementary schools in Cyprus. The analysis of the data shows that teachers' approaches to their collaboration with families may be traced not only to differences among teachers but also to the ideological approach of…

The urban elementary school profiled in this case study was considered low performing based on state-mandated assessment scores from the time the school opened its doors in 1998 until very recently, putting the school on academic watch under the terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. However, in recent years the school realized a significant…

Presents three case studies of the initial efforts of change agents in a large urban school district as they develop mechanisms to coordinate resources at school sites and to establish linkages with community agencies. The case studies demonstrate that implementation of change differed according to the local context and the personal visions of the…

Studied the ways in which the introduction of a school management information system affected the loosely coupled organization of an agricultural high school in Israel. Teachers' interrelations with the principal, subject coordinators, and home room teachers tightened significantly as a result of the computerization of the administrative…

This article presents a longitudinal case study of an urban district school-university partnership designed to prepare students for health careers. We not only summarize the accomplishments of this partnership but also identify factors in the partnership dynamics that hindered the expected improvement in student outcomes. By suggesting possible…

Students in teacher-education programs can benefit from the experience of working in a multiagency, urban school collaboration site. A case study of one site is presented in which students learn about the diversity of urban schools while completing a service-learning project connected to an educational-psychology class. (Author/MMU)

This study explores novice teachers' experiences as team leaders for school-community partnerships. Six focal teachers who were enrolled in an MA program in teacher development and leadership were recruited for the study. The focal teachers volunteered to serve as leaders of a reading-focused community involvement activity as members of their…

Uses ethnographic sources and interviews with 3 university administrators and 14 elementary school teachers in a case-study approach to describe the development of a collaborative partnership between a university and an inner-city public school in southern California. Positive outcomes and deterrents to success are identified. (SLD)