This qualitative study examined the question: How do African-born teachers in U.S. urban schools conceptualize the "teacher" and his/her role and characteristics in an African school context? The data resulted in the conceptualization of the teacher as "the community teacher" who is intimately invested and integrated into the community,…

This paper reports on an interpretive, collective case study that examined preservice teacher learning and practice in an urban school-university partnership. Multiple data sources were collected from 55 predominantly White middle-class preservice teachers at a predominantly Black and Latino high school, including pre- and post-surveys,…

The mathematics instructional approaches of effective elementary teachers in urban high- poverty schools were investigated. Approximately 99 urban elementary teachers were administered the Star Teacher Selection Interview; a total of 31 were identified as star teachers. These teachers were then administered the Instructional Practices…

Using an ethnographic approach the study describes the curricula that veteran urban high school special educators use in self-contained special education classrooms with majority Blacks and Latinos. The findings show that the teachers routinely exposed students to elementary level curricula and to material that was rife with racist images of…

As the number of new schools explodes in urban centers, educators need to understand the processes and challenges faced by schools trying to develop a central focus for curriculum and instruction. Using case study methods including interviews and document analysis, the current study explores the ways in which a highly successful magnet high…

This article is a description of the perceptions of pre-service teachers who have chosen to study in a teacher education program designed specifically to prepare them to work in urban elementary schools. Twelve volunteer participants were interviewed in the spring following their admission into the program. Participants and the researcher also…

One of the greatest challenges for the Unites States as a nation, and for Paterson, NJ in particular, is how to attract and retain academically and pedagogically talented teachers for urban schools--teachers who are committed to remain in those schools to do the difficult, long-term work of reform and renewal. This work is critical if urban…

This article examines the experiences of new faculty entering the Charter College of Education (CCOE) at California State University. As new faculty members, the authors describe how they were welcomed into the CCOE, how they were invited into projects, how easy it was to make connections with other faculty, how much they felt valued and welcomed,…