This chapter describes how data analysis and data-driven decision making were critical for designing, developing, and assessing a new academic program. The authors--one, the program's founder; the other, an alumna--begin by highlighting some of the elements in the program's incubation and, subsequently, describe some of the components for data…

"The Expanded Success Initiative: Challenges and Progress in the Pursuit of College and Career Readiness for Black and Latino Young Men" synthesizes findings from the Research Alliance's four-year evaluation of Expanded Success Initiative (ESI). This report, draws on hundreds of interviews and focus groups with ESI school leaders,…

The Kalamazoo Promise was announced in the fall of 2005, offering free college tuition at any public state college or university for graduates of the district who have gained acceptance to a postsecondary institution. This program was funded through the generous support of anonymous donors, and a federally-funded evaluation is underway to examine…

Describes planning and first-year implementation of a doctoral cohort program for urban principals involving collaboration between Texas A & M University and the Austin Independent School District. Discusses the program's guiding vision, organization, and curriculum and contributions of other groups and individuals. Startup recommendations are…

Two large, complex organizations (an urban school district and a neighboring college of education of a major State-funded university) have developed and applied a collaborative model of interaction and resource enhancement in response to resource contradiction and environmental turbulence. This paper (1) presents a conceptual framework of…

Discusses the Reality Based Multicultural Model (RBMM) created for Minnesota's teacher education programs to ensure that the preservice teacher interacts with diverse student populations and demonstrates competence in each of six program components. The RBMM requires that preservice teachers complete a field experience in a culture other than…

This paper describes the Success for All Program and items that need be considered when the program is implemented in elementary schools. The program includes one-to-one tutoring; frequent assessment; a family support team; innovative curriculum approaches in reading, writing, and language arts; and other interventions. Discussion expands on…

Describes events leading to the establishment of four urban professional development schools (PDS) by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Public Schools. School sites, university/school district interaction, preservice student activities, and schoolwide change projects are described. Results of a survey of site teachers on PDS…

This article discusses the rationale for establishing the Houston Teaching Academy (HTA), a professional development school for preparing teachers to teach in multicultural inner-city schools. Program implementation is described, and results of formative and summative evaluation are presented. (IAH)

This paper details the structure and process of preservice teacher training and new teacher induction at Melrose Elementary School in Oakland (California), an urban professional development school associated with the California State University at Hayward. In addition to providing an overview of the school, describing the school-university…

Models for preparing teachers to work knowledgeably and effectively with diverse populations are needed. The primary purpose of the Learning to Teach Diverse Populations project (Houston, Texas) is to reduce the drop-out rate of new teachers assigned to inner-city schools by training student teachers in a supportive inner-city school environment.…

The challenges of burgeoning enrollment and the high concentration of lower-income and ethnic minority students, a climate of low expectations, teacher and student mobility, and increasing drop-out rates, led to the formation of the Houston (Texas) Consortium of Urban Professional Development Centers. The consortium focuses on urban schools; it…

Jersey City State College (New Jersey) has assumed, as its primary mission, the challenge to address urban concerns, including urban teacher preparation. The revamped Junior Field Experience Program (JFE) is a required course for all prospective teachers. This requirement intends to prepare prospective teachers to deal with cultural diversity by…

This case study reports on the experiences of teachers and student teachers during the process of developing and implementing professional development sites (PDSs) at one urban and two rural middle schools. The study examines the phases of development that teachers go through in the process of developing PDSs and how teachers' level of development…