Chronic absenteeism negatively affects millions of U.S. students each year, and there has been little improvement in the past 2 decades despite the efforts of educational organizations nationwide. The purpose of this qualitative project study was to examine the perceptions of different stakeholders regarding how the factors that contribute to…

According to The College Board (2009), many institutions express concern with their retention rates, but few allocate the necessary resources to affect long-term change at the institution. Retention initiatives are often carried out across many departments and units in an institution, and many institutions lack a full-time coordinator for these…

In March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic wreaked havoc on our nation's educational system. Students, teachers, and administrators were forced to engage in a new remote learning model, which was unfamiliar. This narrative study draws on the lived experiences of six K-12 teachers in Southwest Ohio urban school districts. The data analysis was examined…

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' lived experiences in professional learning communities, conceptualized in Ohio as teacher based teams. This study was carried out against the backdrop of state policies addressed to poorly performing schools. School culture must change in failing schools. In order to change culture (Kowalski,…

Although research shows college preparatory programs' effectiveness regarding academic achievement and college awareness, much less is known about whether programs affect college attendance and persistence. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and other college preparatory programs claim that this is a primary…

This report provides a new resource for understanding the state of urban public schools in the U.S. Geared specifically toward city leaders who want to evaluate how well traditional district and charter schools are serving all their city's children and how their schools compare to those in other cities, the report measures outcomes for all public…

Highly rated urban schools are often held up as models for lower-rated urban districts. These high-scoring urban schools, both district and charter, get results on Ohio's standardized tests that shine compared to results many schools get in districts struggling with the effects of concentrated poverty. Administrators, journalists, and policy…

Policy Matters Ohio looked at schools rated the highest over a two-year period in each of Ohio's eight largest urban districts. State, school, and district data were used to examine schools--district-run and charter--that were rated Excellent or higher for either the 2010-11 or the 2011-12 school year or both. The number of schools examined ranged…

The School District of Philadelphia (SDP), established in 1818, is the eighth largest school district in the United States, with a student enrollment of 184,560 K-12 students. Like most of the other large urban school districts in the United States, its student population consists of more minority students than non-minority students. As the white…

This report highlights the ongoing discussions between the believers of "online learning" vs. the "not enough proven research" for K-8 cyber schooling. Discussing successful processes and operations in states around the country, the author focuses on Maryland and, in particular, Baltimore schools, and reports that very little…

The problem of student discipline disproportionately affects urban schools with large numbers of low income and ethnic minority students. Research over the past 35 years however has consistently shown that discipline policies that are understood and accepted by teachers, students, and parents and consistently enforced by school officials,…

Life continues to change for minority children in general and African American children in particular in public schools where federal legislation mandates extensive high-stakes testing. Although high-stakes testing is a prominent element of public schooling in the United States, it has generated serious concerns from one of its primary…

Studied the impact of court-ordered desegregation on the assignment of minority students to special education courses in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo schools from 1974 to 1978. Concluded that desegregation had little effect on placement trends, although a disproportionately larger number of Blacks are placed in classes for…

The state of Ohio wants to take charter schools to a whole new level: colleges of education. The state department of education is seeking to establish teacher-preparation schools that are free from state regulations so long as they produce high-quality teachers--a variation on the concept that has led to the creation of more than 3,000 K-12…

Summarizes the mentoring component of a large federally funded partnership project, the Urban Teachers Project, which is designed to support future urban teachers. Twenty-four minority teachers served as mentors. Recruitment and selection of mentor teachers, typical mentor-student activities, and student attitudes are described. (SLD)