This study examined achievement gains in reading and math for Hispanic middle school students with specific learning disabilities in inclusive versus segregated settings in a large urban school district. The authors report learning gains for students with and without disabilities in inclusive versus segregated settings. Results indicate no…

This article provides results from a qualitative study on the efforts of school-based mental health providers (SBMHPs) who serve students in urban, suburban, and ethnically diverse settings to help families access quality mental health services. School-based mental health plays a key role in the provision of direct and indirect intervention…

The purpose of this study was to determine students' perspectives about productive peer culture (PPC) in general and for mathematics learning. The urban and rural high school students in this study have participated for at least one year in either an Algebra Project Cohort Model (APCM) for daily mathematics instruction and/or worked as…

A distributed mentoring model was implemented to scaffold preservice teachers completing a residency in high needs urban turnaround high schools. In this situated learning context, expert faculty and peer mentors contributed confirmatory insights for promoting engaged evidence-based pedagogy, instructional differentiation, homework completion,…

Efforts to support marginalized students require not only identifying systemic inequities, but providing a classroom infrastructure that supports the academic achievement of all students. This action research study examined the effects of implementing goal-setting strategies and emphasizing creativity in a culturally responsive classroom (CRC) on…

This study investigates the role of math perceptions on the college enrollment of Latinas in urban settings. Using primarily qualitative methods, this study examines the K-12 schooling experiences of 35 Latina students who were part of a larger fifteen-year study. Students had different college enrollment outcomes despite having similarly low…

Districts throughout the nation are engaged in comprehensive transformation to "turn around" low performing schools. Standardized test scores are used to gauge student achievement; however, academic gains may lag behind leading indicators such as improved school climate and effective leadership. This study examines 16 underperforming…

This case study examines the experiences of two fifth grade teachers as they dealt with district mandates while trying to address their high-poverty urban children's learning needs. It reveals their personal struggles that led to both compliance and resistance. In this case, the act of finding the space to engage in the intellectual and…

Based on two years of extensive data collection in four urban elementary schools, this paper examines the role of principals in the implementation of the Together Initiative (TI), a school reform model for schools labeled low-performing per state accountability standards. The reform model aims to increase school autonomy from district mandates and…

This study builds on previous research that investigates the nature of engagement as it occurs "in the moment" in urban classrooms (Goldin, Epstein, Schorr, & Warner, 2011). In this article, we report on a young male student, Eric, who called out an answer in front of all his peers in response to a question posed by the teacher.…

This study investigated the impact of a range of variables as predictors of graduation potential for students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD) within a large urban school district. These factors included the following characteristics and elements: (a) primary exceptionality, (b) gender, (c)…

MC Squared STEM High School is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. It has a project-based curriculum that focuses on the core stem skills: science, technology, engineering, and math. As the school celebrated its first graduating class in 2012, administrators felt it was the right time to look back and evaluate the school's…

This investigation assesses the effects of leadership coaching on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of urban public school administrators in P-12 underperforming schools. The study specifically examines leadership, management, and student achievement growth during the time of coaching. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, three domains were…

Based on two years of extensive data collection in four urban elementary schools, this paper examines the role of principals in the implementation of the Together Initiative (TI), a school reform model for schools labeled low-performing per state accountability standards. The reform model aims to increase school autonomy from district mandates and…

This paper documents the findings of a case study of one K-10 urban expeditionary learning (EL) school. Drawing on theoretical perspectives consistent with the sociocultural theory, data were collected from a variety of sources that included a survey, interviews, field notes from classroom observations and other school activities. Thematic…