A common argument leveled against charter schools is that they attract the most motivated and intelligent students from already struggling public schools. Marcus Winters seeks to examine this claim, known as "cream-skimming," by comparing the performance of New York City's (NYC) charter middle schools with a set of traditional selective…

While mathematics education research has often focused at the level of the classroom (Rousseau Anderson & Tate, 2008), there are emerging calls for attention to shift from individual classrooms to consider the process of reform at the school or district level. Investigating the role of the institution and conditions of the organization becomes…

This column brings to the attention of "RT" readers the hot topic of redesigning teacher education programs. Featured are interviews with professionals involved in a statewide redesign initiative in Tennessee, the Ready2Teach (R2T) program. The interviews highlight major changes in how teacher education programs are being transformed to…

The author's school had just been labeled a failing school by No Child Left Behind when its new principal arrived in the fall of 2007. In this demoralizing climate, teachers can get frustrated and choose to give up, or they can rise to the challenge, create a plan for improvement, and plunge into uncharted waters. This article discusses how the…

In this article, the author talks about Motif Notation, a means of creating, recording, and reflecting on dance experience, and dance making as educational partners in an urban middle school. The author shares partial tales of middle school-aged children engaging in dance making and Motif Notation which illustrate the fact that teens need to…

Considers addressing problems of urban schools by basing educational practices on effective schools literature and accepted middle school concepts. Recommends ways to improve inner-city schools which include teaching educators to understand urban learners, teaching higher-order and critical thinking skills, pairing adult mentors with learners, and…

Addresses the issue of how educators can begin to improve poorly performing urban middle level schools. Suggests poor infrastructures, school size, and the lack of qualified professionals as reasons why many school underperform. Contends that solutions need to come from those who control the resources, specifically politicians and government…

Jonathan Kozol's visit to Portland, Oregon, in April 2005 included a dialogue with 55 urban middle and high school students about inequities in American schools. Students left this conversation with a stronger sense of the systemic impediments to equal education. They also felt that their voice had been heard on a topic of national import. This…

The author recently left her position as special services director in an urban school district in Vermont, a state that embraces inclusion for students with disabilities, to accept the position of superintendent of schools in the same district. The new job requires overseeing the educational mission of six elementary schools, two middle schools, a…

Argues for the development of school-wide reform plans derived from research on individual differences in learning and effective school practices. Data are presented from three urban schools where a systematic school restructuring effort enabled the establishment of strong family-school-community connections and effective and efficient delivery of…

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to examine how a commitment to socially just pedagogies influences the core practices and policies of a school. This article presents a comprehensive description and analysis of two public middle schools committed to teaching for social justice: Urban Promise Academy and San Francisco Community School.…

Discusses challenges particular to urban middle schools. Describes collaborative services programs, and culturally relevant teaching as two effective ways to meet some of those challenges. Offers the example of an effective urban teacher, and discusses moving from a pedagogy of poverty to a pedagogy of success. (SR)

Given most AmeriCorps members' passion and dedication, a recent college graduate assigned to an overcrowded Oakland middle school felt guilty about her half-hearted commitment to Teach for America. She gradually realized her situation was all too realistic and typical of teachers serving in underresourced schools across the nation. (MLH)

At Frederick Douglass Academy, middle school of choice in central Harlem, principal Lorraine Monroe is creating public school that exudes private school values--hard work, discipline, college preparation. Drawing 75% of its student body from central Harlem, school will evolve into a secondary school and graduate its first class in 1997. The…

Although a vibrant literature on the social justice advantages of writing service-learning programs has existed for many years, the focus has tended to be on specific projects and courses, often accompanied by an understandable suspicion that entrenched institutions like universities have interests inimical to radical social change. As a result,…