For all students, the transition to high school may lead to lower academic achievement and adjustment problems. Black students are at greater risk for academic and social decline during this transition. Holcomb-McCoy identifies four obstacles that make black students more vulnerable as they navigate the transition into high school: stereotyping in…

The basic question, "What is normal?" is being asked again to account for some of the changes that have come about in the maturation and development of today's youth. (MM)

Educators in a range of schools share tools and strategies for successfully working with youth who have become marginalized from school or are at risk of dropping out. The educators emphasize the importance of personally connecting with their students and nurturing the teenagers' interests. They also discuss the challenges of trying to establish…

Young people who daily endure hateful words, slurs, and epithets at school often become fearful and/or enraged. No magic solution or program exists. Teachers must firmly, consistently interrupt usage of degrading language and model acceptable behaviors. Such interventions reduce escalating situations and reassure vulnerable students. (MLH)

Urban high school students want their schools to provide academic courses and extracurricular activities that challenge and interest them. Too often, however, these students chafe against "a system that shuts them off rather than recognizing and developing their potential," writes Cushman. In her conversations with 65 students across the…