Supportive teacher--student relations are crucial to stimulate academic success and well-being of students. These relations can become more strained in urban schools characterised by high levels of socio-economic inequality and ethnic diversity. However, supportive relations between teachers and students can be nurtured and be part of school…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the impact of teacher transition on established secondary school music programs. Through semi-structured interviews, I explored outcomes of teacher transition through the lens of the Social Identity Theory. The sample consisted of: (1) a large Southeastern Florida suburban music program where…

The population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow to 1.52 billion by 2050, which means that food production must significantly increase at the same rate to ensure that there is reduced impact to the environment. Society's major challenges include energy security, national security, public health, and climate change, all of which are…

An extensive literature has been produced to interpret the transformations that have taken place in education as an expression of the expansion of neoliberal rationality in public policies. This study adopts a mixed method, combining quantitative (text mining) and qualitative approaches (computer-assisted discourse analysis), with the aim of…

In Barbados, there has been an increase in violence and disruptive behavior among students at urban secondary schools. The problem is that some Barbadian urban secondary principals struggle to implement the Schools' Positive Behavior Management Program (SPBMP), while other principals successfully reduce disruptive behaviors. This basic qualitative…

We use the metaphor of building a plane while flying to describe the enactment of educational policies by teachers during COVID-19 and the impact of these policies on their ability to meet the needs of their students. Drawing from a series of three one-hour focus groups with seven teachers in Alberta, we apply critical policy analysis to describe…

MTSS promises a school-wide early warning system, high-quality instruction, and evidence-based interventions. However, research has focused mainly on the elementary level. This study examined the beliefs and perceptions of over 300 administrators and teachers currently implementing MTSS in secondary schools using survey research. Results showed…

This study examines the leadership characteristics and skills of school principals who work within the franchise model framework. This model consists of a successful flagship school principal who is given the charge to be the principal of nearby schools while attempting to align practices and structures of the newly adopted schools to that of the…

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to explore the lived experiences of urban secondary principals' understanding of culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) and their perceptions of what was needed to prepare and support culturally responsive leaders in their schools. The problem addressed…

The purpose of this article is to bring attention to the illustrative power and capacity of qualitative longitudinal research within the context of the urban educational "reform churn." In this article, we draw upon longitudinal ethnographic data collected over 3 years in four low-performing, urban secondary schools in Buffalo, New York,…

This study tests the impact of adding Restorative Practices within secondary schools implementing the Diplomas Now turnaround model in 8 large U.S. urban districts on: (a) the severity of disciplinary problems in these schools, (b) the probability that students would be suspended three days or more during the school year, and (c) the chronic…

This study examined classrooms in three, high performing, public secondary schools serving high need communities. Of 22 classes observed, we found approximately one third exhibited an instructional demand for 21st century skills. In many of the remaining classes, teachers appeared to apply misconceptions of 21st century skills, and unintentionally…

Despite modest increases in high school graduation rates for all students, disparities still exist for some groups, such as students of color and students from low-income families who face systemic challenges in accessing high-quality public schools. Third-party "school support" organizations like the Urban Assembly have long focused on…

We present a case study that examined the role of teacher belief change and agency development through enactment of an innovative student-centered STEM program in three public urban secondary schools. In the program, 9th grade STEM classrooms were restructured to incorporate daily small group instruction facilitated by 10th grade near-peers. We…

The article reports on the efforts to establish a secondary school, set up within the free school legislation, to be comprehensive, serving the diverse population of the city in which it is located. This was achieved through a policy which admitted students from four 'nodes' across the city and gave priority to children with special educational…