Hip-Hop-Based Education (HHBE) has resulted in many positive educational outcomes, ranging from teaching academic skills to teaching critical reflection at secondary levels. Given what HHBE initiatives have accomplished, it is troubling that there is an absence of attention to these methods in education programs for elementary and early childhood…

Although most educators would agree that enacting cultural relevance in the classroom is always a complex process, we have too few examples in the research literature of what that complexity looks like and how it plays out in highly diverse classrooms. Drawing on a range of qualitative data sources, this case study examines how one teacher's…

This article reports on a multiple case study that explored teachers' and families' collaboration in two urban and four rural state elementary schools in Cyprus. The analysis of the data shows that teachers' approaches to their collaboration with families may be traced not only to differences among teachers but also to the ideological approach of…

Dr. Larry D. Fields, the former principal of Rowland H. Latham Elementary, led the development of a complementary learning model that became known as the Latham Way. The Latham Way produced remarkable academic success among poor minority students. The chi-square of the expected and the actual scores in reading and mathematics were significant at p…

The shortage of competent, caring professionals who see themselves as urban educators has long been recognized as a problem that teacher preparation programs need to address. The authors argue that situating an entire elementary teacher education program in an urban school setting and engaging candidates in ongoing conversations about difficult…

This article examines the sociocultural scaffolding practices of 24 Latino paraeducators and 8 former Latino paraeducators (who had recently become teachers) as they worked with Latino students in two large urban schools. Instances were observed in which participants used important funds of knowledge in their interactions with students during…

Presents classroom vignettes illustrating an African American first grade teacher's use of selected Ebonics communication techniques that celebrate African American oral traditions while supporting diverse students' academic success. Identifies five common Ebonics rhetorical devices (use of repetitive, rhythmic phrasing for emphasis; call and…

Describes the inception and progress of a university-public school collaboration in which preservice teachers, working toward endorsement in teaching English to speakers of other languages, volunteer to teach English as a second language students, providing academic support, homework help, language practice, and comprehensive explanations for…

Examined teachers' and parents' perceptions of the meanings and functions of parent involvement. Data from interviews with teachers and parents at a diverse, urban, low-income elementary school indicated that the two groups had different perceptions of parent involvement. These different perceptions implicated diverse epistemologies, differential…

Compared poor, minority, inner-city elementary students with white, affluent students regarding students' perceptions of scientists, levels of disciplinary knowledge, sources of science information, voluntary science-related activities, and desired amounts of school science instruction. Student surveys indicated that level of science knowledge was…

Surveyed urban elementary school principals and conducted case studies at high-mobility schools, examining how schools with higher mobility levels attempted to build community. Schools with high mobility levels implemented many programs and practices to help families, such as access to counseling services and adult education classes as well as…

Examined strategies used by one multicultural fifth grade teacher to nurture academic excellence in an inclusive classroom environment. Observation and interview data highlighted accommodation activities that supported and encouraged all students without limiting or impeding their academic or social development. Results are provided in the areas…

Examined how one urban charter school struggled during its first year to overcome several barriers, such as the initial small facility, limited curricula, and strained teacher-administrator relationships, to become a cohesive team that nurtured a unique community of learners. Case study data indicated that keys to success included teacher…

Culturally relevant, ongoing project-based learning was facilitated in a predominantly African American urban elementary school via a community garden project. The project involved teachers, students, university members, and community members. This article evaluates the project through two classroom-community collaboration models, noting common…

Uses data from interviews with mothers from diverse ethnocultural and socioeconomic groups to explore issues of parent roles, access to power, and practices of inclusion and exclusion at an urban elementary school. Results suggest that such efforts become confrontational as competing interests of parents and educators regarding children's…