Describes techniques that help teach urban and suburban children the virtues of trees and forests. Includes a listing of book titles that may help teach children about trees. (MCO)

Describes a unique project in which a teacher educator led a seminar and worked individually with seven student teachers (who were placed in urban secondary schools but who lacked any formal urban teacher training) to help them survive their urban experiences and begin the process of becoming effective urban secondary school teachers. (SR)

Studied perspectives of 192 principals and 148 teachers in urban schools with regard to the challenges of urban teaching. Findings suggest that many of the challenge areas suggested in the literature on urban teachers were not ranked as very important by these educators, making the point that not all urban schools face the same challenges. (SLD)

This paper examines the process of establishing and sustaining content-focused technology inquiry groups, a teacher professional development model where groups of teachers with similar content and grade areas identify problems of practice and inquire into technology-supported solutions. Through a longitudinal case study of an urban arts-humanities…

Studied the Massachusetts Signing Bonus Program for New Teachers, a teacher recruitment program. Findings for 4 years show many failings of the program, which has produced relatively few urban teachers with low rates of teacher retention. (SLD)

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there was a difference in the development of effective urban teacher characteristics between student interns placed in either an urban Professional Development School environment or an urban non-Professional Development School environment. Student interns in urban universities with partnerships…

With the enactment of the NCLB mandates, emphasis on high-stakes testing became more prevalent than ever. Some argue that high-stakes tests can be a driving force behind fundamental change in schools. Whether or not this type of test-driven change leads to school improvement is an empirical question. What we do know is that high-stake testing can…

In a field of revolving-door leaders, Thomas W. Payzant is the exception to the rule. Amid the rise and fall of superintendents in city after city, he has led the Boston Public Schools for nearly 11 years. Now, as he prepares to retire, the district offers a rare glimpse of what is possible with stable leadership in urban education. It is a story…

This article offers a portrait of a young black male teacher in an urban school in South Central Los Angeles. In the portrait, the words of the subject are intertwined with the thoughts and reactions of the researcher as a way in which to capture his life history narrative and offer his reading of the world. The article discusses the participant's…

Describes sequential teaching based on the inductive approach--a clearly defined task divided into parts and presented sequentially--as structure-based, performance-based, guidance-based, multisensory-based, and present-based. (Author/SF)

Teachers, programs, and facilities suitable to the special needs and potentialities of inner city youngsters must be provided. (Author/MK)

This four-part document addresses problems facing teachers of inner-city secondary students. Part 1 discusses the adverse influences of society on the inner city, and their effects on education and physical education. Part 2 focuses on competencies and expertise needed by physical education instructors to work effectively with inner-city students.…