Hip hop culture is typically excluded from conventional educational spaces within the U.S. Drawing on the experiences of an educator who works with urban high school students and university level pre- and in-service educators, this article examines the role of hip hop culture for student engagement in two settings--an alternative high school…

Youth who experience either LD or teenage motherhood often drop out of school. Further, about 50% of young girls with LD become mothers by their early 20s compared to 28% of young women in the general population. There is therefore a high likelihood that teenage mothers with LD will drop out of school. Dropping out of school is of concern because…

The opinions of young urban teenagers about the possible impeachment of President Clinton were studied through assigned compositions. Among the 228 students, all in grades 7 through 9 in Milwaukee (Wisconsin), were 9 European Americans, 15 Hispanic Americans, 6 Hmong, and 198 African Americans. Student compositions showed little knowledge of the…

This research examined the effects of belief-based messages on the intentions of ninth and tenth grade, Hispanic-American students to enroll in their first elective science course at the pre-college level, chemistry. The design of the study was guided by the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1989) and the Elaboration Likelihood Model of…

This digest describes the essential components of college preparation programs for urban and minority youth. The digest suggests that such programs must attend to the cultural norms of the community and their own political contexts in order to increase students' access to, enrollment in, and graduation from college. College preparation programs…

This digest reviews approaches that have been proven effective in preparing urban minority youth for college. Precollege programs that offer comprehensive approaches and combine a variety of services have the largest impact on college access for minority youth in low-income neighborhoods. The most effective programs are of substantial duration and…

Presents a case study of a New York City high school with a high dropout rate. Focuses on teaching quality, students' attitudes and stresses, and school structure and practice. Argues that school reforms must be developed along with efforts to improve the overall life conditions of students. (KH)

There is an urgent need not only to attract more people into the teaching profession but also to build a more diverse, highly qualified, and culturally sensitive teaching force that can meet the needs of a rapidly changing school-age population. This Toolkit takes best practices from high school teacher academies around the United States and…

Uses narratives of five female students of color in an urban high school to describe how students simultaneously participate in, and resist, school. Suggests organizing schools to maximize contact between school personnel and students and notes the importance of listening to students when formulating educational policy and practice. (SLD)

Studied the motivation of 60 black urban male tenth-graders, half achievers and half with lower achievement scores. Results suggest that if potential achievers are to be turned into achievers, teachers must focus on activities designed to foster intrinsic motivation. Techniques for working with low-income minority youth are outlined. (SLD)

This document is a collection of writings by refugee and minority children from the George Orwell School in London (England) and the Montessori College in Oost, Amsterdam (the Netherlands). About one-third of the students at the George Orwell School, were refugees. These students were aged 11 to 16 years old. About 30 to 40% of the students at the…

Project ALERT was conducted by the Atlanta Public School system for the third consecutive year during the summer of 1985. An education for employment component of the Summer Youth Employment Program, Project ALERT represents a concentrated effort to address problems that have contributed to the high unemployment rate among economically…

Recognizing that violence is demographically concentrated in the male minority in inner cities is a necessary starting point for discussions of how to combat this violence. A conference on the prevention of youth violence was held in May 1996 to throw light on the problem of youth violence directly and specifically. Participants in this conference…

Explores the challenges of using affirmative action programs when competing groups of underrepresented people vie for limited school resources. The case study of a San Francisco (California) high school illustrates the difficulties of balancing competing goals when affirming diversity and addressing patterns of discrimination conflict with equal…

Case studies of two urban adolescents interviewed over 3 years of high school show the complexities of life in the city for minority students and demonstrate the importance of supportive relationships in their lives. The chapters are: (1) "Interpreting Narratives"; (2) "A Study of Urban Youth"; (3) "Malcolm's Story"; (4) "Voice and Silence"; (5)…