The purpose of this study was to identify the strengths and challenges that emerged from the first 3 years of a high school student leadership development program located in an urban setting. This study was developed as an instrumental case study of one student leadership development program serving urban public high schools in South Central…

After receiving a multiyear federal grant, an urban school district and community agency that focused on family literacy implemented a comprehensive school reform initiative called Providence Full Service Community Schools (PFSCS). A host of community partners collaborated to develop the PFSCS model with the broad goal of strategically connecting…

Research on the role of institutions in influencing students' readiness for college has so far focused primarily on the school level and the state policy context, with only little attention to the district. This case study, based on interview data and documents collected over the course of a year, analyzes an urban district's attempt to create a…

For decades, reform has been a persistent issue in urban schools. Research suggests that urban school reforms that are connected to equitable community development efforts are more sustainable, and that principals play a pivot role in leading such efforts. Yet, limited research has explored how urban school principals connect school reform with…

What roles do parent and family engagement and community outreach play in educator efforts to improve low-performing urban schools? To address this question, we considered findings from our 3-year case study of Brookdale Elementary (a pseudonym), which was undergoing a state-mandated, district-directed turnaround reform effort from 2011 to 2014.…

This study profiles tutoring programs that empower urban youth within the Regional Institute of Tutorial Education (RITE), a community collaborative of universities, youth agencies, community service organizations, and school districts. Representative members of RITE detail how they address shared urban problems of academic deficits, school…

This review explores the conceptualization and measurement of neighborhood and institutional relationships related to children's educational outcomes in neighborhood effects research. The review's analysis first summarizes early statements about neighborhood and school relationships within the field. The analysis next situates neighborhood and…

Investigates administrative decision-making by examining alliances between principals and teachers, as well as the influence of students and community in school decisions; the decision behavior of principals is classified on a continuum ranging from reliance on authority to laissez faire. (Author/JM)

It is time to free urban education from the standards of rural, agrarian America. Urban education must reflect modern family structures, utilize school buildings to a fuller extent, reflect more autonomy for schools in individual communities, and expand bilingual programs. In short, schools should become the new "settlement houses" for urban…

This study was designed to examine the range of diversity among three public high schools in goals considered as official mandates--statements of purpose legitimated by the governing board of the organization, as executive values, and as staff perspectives. (JM)

Evidence from 10 cities indicates that large city school systems' difficulty in closing schools stems from administrators' value conflicts between responsiveness to the community and efficiency, and from competing role interests between board members and administrators. (MJL)

Examines the function of public education in contemporary cities and argues that public education needs to be seen and function as a basic industry: an industry that creates forward and backward linkages, multiples investments, and attracts people and capital. It suggests urban schools should be seen as being builders of modern cities, not…

Discusses the economic implications to Los Angeles (California) of K-12 public education funding from educational agencies. It reveals the relative size of the K-12 public education sector in the United States and summarizes the role of education in the Los Angeles area in terms of human capital, enhancements in industrial productivity, and…

Traces the historic separation of city public schools from city politics. This rift has created lasting institutional barriers between schools and the changing currents of urban politics. The development of the Los Angeles Unified School District as an exemplar of Progressive reform is reviewed revealing an insular school system only recently…

Reviews the current theoretical and empirical literature on community involvement in schools, describing different rationales for community involvement. Discusses four major forms of school-community partnerships (business, university, service learning, and school-linked service integration) and factors influencing their implementation and…