Argues that the urban educational system best serves its varied clientele and performs its diverse functions if there is substantial power, wisely administered, at both the local school level and at a central place in the school system. (JF)

Research suggests that using an ecological approach to school reform calls for understanding how urban school curricula, procedures, and regulations affect interactions among students, teachers, and parents and then devising solutions that do not blame any party. The federal program Trainers of Teacher Trainers exemplifies forging new…

A review of the research and a look at some assumptions about charter schools suggests that charter schools do have the potential to help teachers improve instruction. The effectiveness of charter school reforms emerges from common focus and a certain level of teacher self-determination. (SLD)

Explores how sociocultural factors involved in the manifestation and eventual disappearance of the gap for these groups may shed light on how to address the achievement gap for African American students in urban science education. (Contains 47 references.) (DDR)

Presents a model for an urban P-16 (integrated education from preschool though college) that is meant to reshape and improve teacher education in a way driven by the involvement of major stakeholders in the community. The discussion focuses on partnering activities at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (SLD)

Presents a case analysis of the Miami-Dade Urban Systemic Initiative (MDUSI). Describes the development of a general framework for systemic reform that is used as a tool to examine the particulars of systemic reform initiatives and their potential to impact the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in diverse contexts. (Contains 27…

Reports on the results of case studies in two Ohio middle schools that employed a model known as the equity metric to identify factors affecting equity in urban science education reform. (Contains 33 references.) (DDR)

In Baltimore, Chicago, New York, Oakland, California and Philadelphia, to name a few cities where it has been active, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has emerged as a major player in K-12 in education issues. Its army of organizers has tackled everything from a lack of stop signs to such vexing issues as teacher…

In our current climate of standards-based reform, efforts abound to have all students reach the same goals. At the same time, other educational reforms, such as inclusion, are creating increasingly diverse populations of students in general education classrooms. Consequently, teachers often view inclusion and standards-based reform as incompatible…

This special issue is the final issue of "Cityschools," a magazine that reports on research regarding the transformation of urban schools and makes this research more accessible to practitioners in urban classrooms. The research is described through the stories of real educators who are finding solutions to educational problems. The…

To help teachers in urban schools implement technology in their science instruction, two science educators analyzed a number of models for technology training. This paper explores answers to the question of how to design technology sessions so that they are highly valuable professional development experiences for teachers. The models for these…

In this article, the author presents five valuable lessons on how an overseas educational consultant relates to concerns about preparing teachers to work in inner-city ghetto schools. The first lesson is learning to communicate and commune with another culture. Second, is seeing educational problems in a broadened social context. Third, is…

Fifth of five articles in a series, titled "The Elementary School: Focus on the Culturally Different.

This book attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the major leadership issues facing urban schools. It also provides practical recommendations for improvement to address the challenges of urban school reform. The chapters are: (1) "Circular Hopelessness, Poverty, and Urban Schools"; (2) "Academic Achievement and Parental Involvement in…

This paper reports on how reform efforts since 1991 have affected teachers in an urban, K-6 elementary school of approximately 450 students. Teachers were predominantly female, middle-aged, and of European descent, while students were increasingly African-American and poor. Children were considered well-behaved by teachers, but less respectful…