Discusses how two urban school principals used nontraditional administrative approaches as strategies for connecting home and school and for improving the literary achievement of their culturally diverse students. Describes how these principals made a personal and caring investment, served as strong instructional leaders, reconceptualized the real…

The concept of leadership is defined, and its role in improving inner-city schools is assessed. Leaders in effective schools and student motivation are considered. Leaders should reject the cultural deficit notion and commit themselves to the belief that every child can learn in school by setting an appropriate pace. (TJH)

A private alternative school in the slums of New Delhi (India) is committed to ending female child labor and ensuring that its students don't grow up poor. The school was able to enroll girls in its all-female afternoon classes by getting their mothers involved in income-generating cooperatives. The students often outperform their peers in state…

Issues pertinent to the positive and lasting reform of innercity school systems serving disadvantaged minority youth are explored in this paper. Current and past reforms to improve school effectiveness have dealt primarily with instructional deficiencies of the school. However, three clusters of problems must be addressed: institutional…

This article looks at the historic mission of Catholic schools among the urban poor, at reasons why Catholic education is so popular with both Catholic and non-Catholic parents in the inner city, and at the financial commitments needed to keep this mission alive. (SJL)

Since 1978, the Diocese of Oakland, California, has operated the Family Aid-Catholic Education (FACE) program, which raises funds from local businesses and philanthropic organizations to provide partial tuition assistance to deserving low income families and to offer supplemental funding for innovative programing to inner-city Catholic schools.…

An excerpt from the book "Savage Inequalities" describes the situation in Camden, New Jersey, where children attend some of the nation's poorest schools; desegregation is unlikely, and those unable to leave face bleak futures. Discusses findings of a 1980s class action lawsuit that detail New Jersey's unequal public education systems.…

The purpose of "Teach for America," a program modeled after the Peace Corps, was to recruit a cadre of bright college graduates to become uncertified teachers for two years in some of America's toughest schools. This book tracks the successes and failures of the program in its first year and presents the stories of seven idealistic corps…

Following a literature review, this article offers a model of staff development including multiple demonstrations of innovations, opportunities for practice in the training setting; and coaching to facilitate transfer and integration. Application of the model in a low-income, low-achievement school and implications for the Regular Education…

Recounts the author's experiences teaching writing for several years in the New York city public schools. Relates his changing thoughts, feelings and assumptions about why creative writing matters (or does not matter) to these students. Concludes that writing can help people struggle against suffering and injustice, and it can also give the…

Describes reform efforts in one urban ghetto school, examining processes and events that illustrate how social manifestations of racial and social class can combine to vitiate reform efforts. Barriers to reform efforts in ghetto schools are detailed. (SM)

Examines three categories of theories on educating disadvantaged students in ghetto schools: institutional deficiency, developmental deficiency, and cultural deficiency. The discussion focuses on problems and solutions within the schools and society. It stresses the need for community commitment, social change, and strong leadership to help…

Presents guidelines to inform teacher education programs aspiring to prepare teachers for working in impoverished urban schools: (1) attributes of preservice teacher candidates, (2) teacher educator expertise, (3) knowledge, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, and values to be learned by prospective teachers, (4) educational methods, and (5) program…