Contends that the nature of U.S. urban life has created profound challenges for urban schools. Asserts that music educators must examine innovative trends in policy, programming, and curricula to determine how music can contribute to better schools and a better quality of life in urban areas. (CFR)

A study of fatal and nonfatal interpersonal violence-related injuries over one year in a poor African-American community in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) reveals that violence-related injury is the most common injury type for persons aged 15-49 years. Results yield dramatic evidence of the extent of urban violence for adults and children. (SLD)

Contends that the question of what Black Americans call themselves is a nonissue that diverts attention from larger problems without contributing to their solution. Traces widespread crime, poverty, educational failure, and institutional breakdown to the erosion of Black family and community values, and urges the reversal of this trend. (AF)

An eclectic approach is presented for the evaluation of services to the homeless. The method combines social network analysis and multiattribute technology to allow for development of a criterion for evaluation of services for a geographic area. Service delivery configuration, evaluation criteria, and a planning and monitoring strategy are…

Explores the new mission outlined by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and the efforts of the federal government to help the working poor. The review of welfare reform proposals suggests that real solutions will depend on comprehensive plans for a broader sense of well-being for all citizens. (SLD)

Argues that universities are as well equipped as and more obligated than most other social institutions to listen to, understand, and respond to problems in American society. Suggests that the great universities of the 21st century will be judged by their ability to help solve the most urgent social problems. (SM)

Universities must become more involved in helping society address vital urban issues, and the faculty reward system should be restructured to encourage faculty involvement in urban service. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has made such a commitment, involving faculty in urban outreach, and university officers in clarifying institutional…

A subcommittee of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) was charged with the task of developing a national agenda for America's cities and regions. This report consists of the working paper developed by the co-chairs of the subcommittee and the position papers committee members produced. It is intended to be a starting point for…

This handbook assembles, in one volume, the latest data on violence in a logically ordered and well-documented format that draws on published and unpublished sources of information about violence in the United States and its major divisions. Five topical chapters deal with aspects of violence and its consequences. Chapter 1 describes patterns of…

In the past few years, there has been a groundswell of community partnerships to prevent crime and drug abuse. This compilation presents prevention strategies, rather than programs, to help communities focus on adapting and tailoring program ideas and crime prevention techniques to local needs and circumstances. The strategies described are…

As far back as the 1960s, research and statistics began to demonstrate what appeared to be an inequality in the criminal justice system in that minorities, particularly black males, were being arrested and confined in numbers far greater than their proportion to the general population. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice, in conjunction with…

Doing something positive about youth gangs will require hard work, attitude change, and enlisting the help of many people. In addition to the many obvious causes of gangs, there are less well-known factors, such as academic achievement, that are related to youth participation in gangs. Participation in extracurricular activities helps young people…

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints Series present debates about current issues that can be used to teach critical reading and thinking skills. The varied opinions in each book examine different aspects of a single issue. The topics covered in this volume explore the racial and ethnic tensions that concern many Americans today. The racial divide…

As the case management approach has become increasingly popular, a new phenomenon has emerged. A client may have several case managers, each employed by a different project, and these managers may not be aware of each other. The National Center for Children in Poverty has recently conducted research on case management in service integration…

The National Center for Children in Poverty recently conducted research on case management in service integration projects. The core of the study's information comes from 16 projects around the country, all serving children living in poverty. This brief discusses the characteristics of case managers, including their demographic attributes, tenure,…