The political settings of elementary school principals are examined. All sampled districts had bureaucracies, but in lower income districts, principals viewed the central office more negatively than did principals in upper income districts. In middle income districts, more bargaining occurred between school and district. Neighborhoods had an…

Explores the relationship between intrinsic motivation and self-perceptions and academic achievement and attendance in 47 Black elementary school students. Suggests that some Black urban elementary students may find improving their standard English vocabulary and preferring challenging work to be socially undesirable. Implications for urban…

Data from seven large urban areas are examined to determine the relationship between neighborhoods with a high incidence of poverty and social disorganization and low reading achievement. (ST)

This article describes a discipline program for urban elementary school students. The program is based on several theories of moral development and it emphasizes the importance of the social context of the school environment. (Author/EB)

Reports on the achievement of the first Waldorf public elementary school in Milwaukee (Wisconsin). Early experience indicates that Waldorf pedagogy, with its emphasis on the natural rhythms of everyday life, is an effective model for predominantly African American children in an inner city. (SLD)

Conducted observations in urban and suburban schools, arguing that critical theorists should more closely examine differential structural constraints on pedagogical choice. Urban teachers made pedagogic choices that reinforced social hierarchies (partly to help students manage urban environmental risks). Changing the role of power in urban public…