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…

This study rests on written statements made by New York City teachers and administrators. The study documents what a sample of urban teachers of mathematics and school principals in elementary, middle, and high schools state are: impediments of, as well as supports to, their productive teaching of mathematics, and their suggestions of what is…

Urban Impact is a Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement Act partnership grant supporting the development of new strategies and structures to strengthen the preparation and development of beginning teachers in urban settings in Tennessee. This study evaluated the success of Urban Impact in restructuring university coursework and university/school…

Concrete suggestions for using out-of-school objects to help inner-city students learn mathematical and scientific concepts are given. (MK)

Describes partnership efforts between the Richmond Public Schools, Virginia, and Virginia Commonwealth University that have focused on the needs of urban schools. Describes challenges that remain with regard to preparing teachers, mentoring beginning teachers, and retaining experienced teachers. (SLD)

Some urban teachers are marginal teachers who are beginning to internalize a sense of hopelessness about their effectiveness. The characteristics and skills of potential mentors to help marginal teachers are discussed, and salient points to consider in establishing a model for mentoring marginal teachers are reviewed. (SLD)

At present, there is a lack of information about how teacher-friendly or sustainable opportunity to learn (OTL) assessment strategies are when used in classrooms. This paper describes the results of a national survey of classroom teachers who teach in large urban school districts, districts that are members of the Council of Great City Schools.…

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…

Some of the factors that have been considered in relation to the teaching of mathematics, especially to students in urban schools, are examined in this paper. First, information on the mathematics achievement levels of students with different demographic characteristics is presented; the extreme variance in achievement between students from high…

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…

A study of inservice needs of principals and teachers at schools in the process of desegregation indicates the following: (1) White staff must perceive the need for change; (2) inservice training should address overall goals and teachers' implementation needs; and (3) teachers must be interested in pupils' needs as well as in their own…

This paper examines and compares two groups of urban and suburban minority school district educators in an effort to discover the qualities and conditions that make them effective and potential models for other teachers. One group of four teachers is from an inner-city day care and afterschool center. The program has a history of commitment to…

The Urban Sites Network of the National Writing Project was conceived, designed, and implemented as a national teacher inquiry network for urban sites of the National Writing Project. The goal of the Urban Sites Network has been to develop, articulate, and implement a new agenda for National Writing Project sites serving larger cities. Over the…

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…