This report describes efforts of a technical assistance team under the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project of the Center for New Schools (Chicago, Illinois) to link research and practice for school improvement in Chicago Public School District 21. Section I discusses some characteristics and educational needs of urban areas, generally, and District 21, specifically. Section II examines the team's entry into District 21, primarily through the personal involvement in the District's affairs of a key member of the team. Section III describes two programs that were implemented, with team assistance, to enhance the problem solving capacities of District 21 schools: (1) Open Corridor, which used knowledge gained from a New York City school improvement project, that was based on the principles of open education; and (2) Peer Tutoring, which drew on theoretical knowledge to structure seminars for tutors and coordinators and implement successive summer peer tutoring activities. Based on the District 21 experience, it is suggested (in section IV) that: (1) strategies of entry for technical assistance should be flexible; (2) assistance teams should balance application of their expertise and clients' perceptions of their own needs; and (3) intervention strategies should address the complex of problems and the diversity of populations in urban schools. (Author/MJL)