This pilot-year report comments on the efficiency and current status of strategies for improved urban education. By pooled judgement and survey methodologies, program data from thirty cities, student interviews from site visits, and study team observations of five city districts (Atlanta, Dallas, Milwaukee, Oakland and Toledo) are examined. Urban demographic data, including ethnic characteristics of student populations, are presented. Successful programs focusing on educational alternatives, the arts in education, developments in the basic skills, bilingual and multicultural education, staff and curriculum development, and use of community resources are described. Federal funding, greater teacher-pupil understanding, utilization of out-of-school experiences, and general systems renewal strategies are cited as essential for successful revitalization of urban education. Future procedures and emphases in urban education, as well as the role of this type of study, are outlined. (KR)