Racial disproportionality in school discipline is an enduring systemic problem whose patterns change from one context to another. In order to develop systemic solutions that are responsive to local contexts, school stakeholders' collective, agentic actions toward systemic changes are essential. Utilizing a participatory systemic design process led…

This paper uses critical race theory to analyze several case studies focused on the experiences of two restorative justice coordinators (RJCs), both Black women and how they understood and responded to perceived racial injustices in urban schools with white leadership. These schools were attempting to address unequal disciplinary practices toward…

Young Black and Latino men transition from high school to 4-year universities at rates considerably lower than their peers. College-going disparities by gender are partly influenced by young men's constrained access to social capital in high school. This research explores how gendered inequalities in social capital arise for college-aspiring…

The purpose of this research was to examine the disconnect between urban school expectations and actual lived realities of marginalized students. Taking into consideration the conversation surrounding the definitions of urban education, and the importance of school connectedness with youth, we chose to focus on the lives of five former high…

Suspension rates for students of color are higher than for White students, even in schools that utilize alternatives to suspension like restorative practices. This study draws on data from a year-long multicase ethnography that sought to elucidate why such disproportionality prevails in schools that use restorative practices. This article focuses…

This Urban Texas School District Restorative Discipline Practice (RDP) initiative was founded and funded on the description that RDP is designed to proactively build relationships, improve school climate, and reduce suspensions of African American (AA) males. This RDP phenomenon was reactively implemented in a Reset Center where suspended students…

This study examines the impact of a polytechnic high school model designed in collaboration with a research-intensive university and industry/community partners. Aimed at urban settings and focused on minoritized youth, this model replaces traditional subject-specific classes with industry-driven design project cycles. As design-based integrated…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide concrete examples of what leadership behaviors and strategies look like in high-poverty urban schools in Chicago that are successful at improving student outcomes. We compared the strategies used by principals who were rated by their teachers on annual surveys as being strong instructional leaders…

Leadership is a critical component of creating and sustaining a school culture that promotes the inclusion and success of students. The purpose of this study was to examine how school leaders helped to enact and sustain a reformed Advanced Placement (AP) culture designed to increase participation and success of students of color. Building on…

In an era of globalized education policy, the problems of equitably funding public schools have universal relevance. Critical Resource Theory (CReT), a conceptual extension of Critical Theory (CT), uses data generated from quantitative analyses of public funding to inform policy and produce more equitable resources and outcomes for low-wealth…

"STEM Education Reform in Urban High Schools" gives a nuanced view of the obstacles marginalized students face in STEM education--and explores how schools can better support STEM learners. Reporting the results of a nine-year ethnographic study, the book chronicles the outcomes of various STEM education reforms in eight public high…

This qualitative study of an urban high school draws on critical race theory's tenet of whiteness as property and the notion that educational opportunity is a race-conscious construct to interrogate the impacts of school improvement work intended to increase educational opportunities for students of colour. Educational opportunity is defined as…

Ever since the publication of "A Nation at Risk" (1983), and in particular over the last 15 years with the implementation of federal policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] (2002) and its successor, Every Student Succeeds Act (2017), the spotlight on how failing schools support our neediest and most marginalized students has…

Purpose: This qualitative research study examines classroom observations and transcripts, teacher and student interviews and student writing to investigate how white English teachers can cultivate students' critical literacies regarding race and oppression through classroom literature. As research and practice in the field of critical literacy has…

As American public education becomes increasingly technology-based, multiple new data sources become accessible for educators to better understand student learning processes. Novel data analysis applications became necessary during severe disruptions due to the COVID pandemic. This case study highlights a novel method for identifying high school…