College-educated White households have increasingly opted to live in central urban neighborhoods, transforming many parts of the urban core. While there is emerging evidence that schools may play a key part in this process, little is known about the extent of racial contract between children of gentrifier households and original residents. This…

Some contemporary urban educational reformers believe that empowering principals with increased school-based autonomy will help them lead educational improvement more effectively. We consider this popular reform idea by examining how principals experienced and exerted autonomy in different forms in two distinct eras in New York City. Our findings…

School leadership research offers prescriptions for strong instructional and culturally relevant leadership for diverse and urban adolescent populations, yet little evidence describes how school principals impact adolescents' in-school reading experiences. This qualitative inquiry sought to understand how one urban secondary principal perceived…

Drawing on data from a year-long multi-case ethnography of three secondary urban public schools implementing restorative practices, the current piece examines how principals negotiate restorative practices despite conflicting pressures to maintain order and compel obedience. I frame my inquiry through Sergiovanni's (2000) concept of…

Prior research suggests that parents of Hispanics, English learners, and students living in poverty exercise school choice less frequently than other parents, which may be a factor in the resegregation of public schools. This quasi-experimental, causal-comparative design tests whether ethnicity, language dominance, or socioeconomic status of the…

Many scholars have found that student--teacher relationships are an integral part to student success in schools. The quality of relationships has implications for student engagement and performance. The most successful student-teacher relationships have characteristics of the ethic of care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the…

Immigrant students in U.S. educational system experience challenges learning to adapt and integrate into new educational environments. Little is known, however, about factors that facilitate acculturation strategies of immigrant youth from West Africa and how they affect their academic success and challenges faced. Considering the current…

Immigration is a public issue that needs student exploration. This cross-disciplinary study brings awareness of diverse cultures by studying immigration through personal history in a multiethnic urban elementary school. Research suggests the importance of integrating assets students bring into the classroom in instruction. Changing pedagogies also…

What constitutes an urban school? This question has confounded social researchers and educators who often limit definitions to population data. H. Richard Milner suggested a framework for defining urban schools that includes population data as well as the racial and social context of schools. This article applied Milner's model to school districts…

Teachers were among the public servants at work in New York City on September 11, 2001. This study focuses on the feelings and actions of a representative group of elementary teachers in Queens, New York. As they became aware of the unfolding tragedy of the World Trade Center attacks, they demonstrated the essential qualities of public service,…

Examines the organizational and managerial response by the public school bureaucracy in New York City to the problem of enrollment decline. Discussion focuses on the issues of population decline, the fiscal crisis, school closings, problems of contracting organizations, decision making techniques, and the environmental and organizational context…

Complex political, economic, and social challenges in large urban districts weigh heavily on urban superintendents' professional and personal lives. The Fordham University/New York City Superintendents Network provides a forum for practicing New York City school superintendents whereby superintendents engage in dialogue about their work in a…

Examined the extent of implementation of the 1995-00 United Federation of Teachers-New York City contract agreement on annual teacher performance reviews, identifying factors impacting implementation. Survey and interview data indicate that few schools are implementing the performance review option, mainly due to lack of adequate training. Lack of…

Investigates how Catholic schools are making the transformation from national to multicultural schools as they meet the needs of new immigrants in the inner city. Focuses on the concept of mediating institutions, investigating urban Catholic school principals' willingness to experience diversity. Mediating institutions such as Catholic schools…

Examines how sociopolitical context influenced two school districts to pursue reform models that centered on persistent segregation, highlighting research on black mobilization around community control of New York City schools and black support of African American immersion schools in Milwaukee. Results reveal that using all-Black settings as a…