The term "urban education" generally refers to that education provided in inner-city schools for mainly poor and minority students. Although billions of dollars have been spent on special programs to upgrade the achievement levels of such students, urban education must be regarded as a failure, for it has left its participants without the reading, writing, listening, math, and science skills necessary for access to higher education or employment. Discrimination is evident throughout urban schools, and is shown by, or aggravated by, faulty planning, lack of interagency planning, outdated teacher and administrator training, piecemeal reform, the shortcomings of community control, and racist attitudes toward intelligence tests. Urban education can work, however, if positive attitudes and respect for diversity are coupled with the following strategies for change: coordinated planning, updated management systems, audiovisual aids, self-instructional centers, academic performance contracting for teachers, exposing youngsters to educational and cultural activities, changes in IQ testing and teacher training, curriculum reform, legal action, and self-help. (RDN)