The voices of students of color often are left out of discussions of urban school reform conversations when they should be central to reform efforts. Jonathan Collins suggests looking at democratic reform as an avenue to bring those voices forward. Participatory budgeting, for example, introduces students to the idea that they could decide how…

When students have a strong sense of belonging in their school community, they are more likely to thrive academically. In a study of 55,000 secondary school students across the United States, Challenge Success found further evidence of the bilateral relationship between students' experiences of academic engagement and their sense of belonging,…

Early adolescence is a time of great potential and vulnerability, especially for boys of color. Research is replete with examples of how mentoring can help young people through this challenging period, but less is known about what students themselves want from such relationships. Tina Durand interviewed and conducted focus groups with boys of…

Today's youth increasingly are being expected to engage in civil deliberation in classrooms while simultaneously living in a society with a high level of political incivility. However, teaching students to argue--particularly in oral form--is enormously complex and challenging work. In this article, the authors report on a study of four high…

The authors describe a promising approach to engaging high school students in intergroup dialogues, relying on "near peers"--in this case, local college students--to facilitate a series of classroom discussions about racial identity, differences, and opportunities to connect. Early results suggest that the approach had significant…

Students, faculty, and administrators expressed their feelings concerning the extent to which a community college was meeting its stated goals. (MF)

Summarizes, from a teacher's viewpoint, the benefits of cooperative learning, including increased achievement and improvement of students' attitudes toward school, learning, and each other. Outlines five simple steps for teaching cooperation skills, describes two successful group activities, and shares student reactions to these exercises.…

Describes the purpose and tests used in a statewide study to assess the performance of Puerto Rican students in grades 7-12 on a series of learning goals deemed relevant to the needs of these students. (Author/IRT)

The Peer Leadership Program decreased student absences, the dropout rate, physical attacks, and vandalism costs, and increased student involvement. (Author/IRT)

Using teacher surveys and focus groups, a University of Minnesota study examined the effects of changing school starting times on school operations at all levels and on the community. The least desirable start time was 9:40 a.m. at middle schools. Later schedules benefited high school students. No one schedule can accommodate everyone. (MLH)