Education and Urban Society recent issues

Exploring the Generation Gap in Urban Schools: Generational Perspectives in Professional Learning Communities

Rinke, C. R. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:49 PDT

This article reports on the generational perspectives of two science teachers working in one urban school, a 38-year veteran and a second-year teacher. Despite numerous opportunities to work together, these teachers argued more than they collaborated. This research shows that at least some of the tension can be explained by the generational perspectives each brought with them to the classroom, perspectives that have been brought to the forefront by the recent demographic shift in the urban teacher workforce. Each teacher’s generational perspective is presented within a framework of technical culture, service ethic, and professional commitment. Implications for recruitment and retention are discussed.

The Influence of Salary in Attracting and Retaining School Leaders

Pijanowski, J. C., Brady, K. P. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:49 PDT

This article examines the salary trajectory of teachers as they move up the career ladder into leadership positions. The issue of compensation is set in the context of a principal shortage that has been widely reported and discussed in the literature. Urban schools are shown to experience the principal shortage differently from rural schools. District size and school type show significant differences in the additional compensation offered for moving from teaching to various leadership positions. The influence of salary is discussed in concert with the changing role of the principalship and candidate’s concerns about increasingly less desirable working conditions for school leaders.

An Exploratory Study of Reading in Urban and Suburban Middle Schools: Implications for At-Risk and Special Education Learners

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:49 PDT

Fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, school achievement remains segregated by both race and class. Despite an emphasis on reading achievement as required by No Child Left Behind, many students have serious literacy needs, even into the middle and upper grades. The purpose of this study was to ascertain ways in which middle school reading instruction is coordinated to improve academic outcomes for at-risk students. In-depth interviews were conducted with professionals from five urban and five suburban middle schools surrounding five components of reading programming. While both align their curriculum with state expectations, they differ in terms of program continuity and stability. Overall, systemic coherence in schools was a rarity. Implications for literacy programming and systemic reform are presented.

Influence of Social and Community Capital on Student Achievement in a Large Urban School District

Porfeli, E., Wang, C., Audette, R., McColl, A., Algozzine, B. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:49 PDT

Education professionals and policy makers have been working to "close the achievement gap" for some time. Differences in school performance for children from diverse and different family backgrounds have been at the core of past and present social, political, and education reform initiatives and practices. Previous research suggests that student characteristics and social capital (i.e., supportive aspects of social structures and people) predict academic achievement. In the present study, we examined the impact of school demographics, including distributions of exceptional children, and community capital (i.e., financial, human, and social capital in a family) on educational achievement as an opportunity to reframe the perspective on blame and explore the benefits of intentional diversity and integration on the educational advancement for all children. One result showed that community capital was a strong predictor of academic outcomes. We also found that the concentrations of students with academic gifts, behavior problems, or mental retardation and interesting interactions among these variables had differing impacts on academic achievement at the school level.

The Effectiveness of an After-school Program Targeting Urban African American Youth

Hanlon, T. E., Simon, B. D., O'Grady, K. E., Carswell, S. B., Callaman, J. M. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:49 PDT

The present study reports on the effectiveness at one-year follow-up of an after-school prevention program targeting 6th grade African American youth residing in high-risk urban areas. The program, conducted on-site over the school-year period, involved a group mentoring approach emphasizing remedial education and an appreciation of African American cultural heritage in promoting school bonding, social skills development, and greater academic achievement. Behavioral and adjustment outcome data were obtained from two participating middle-school sites (intervention and comparison, involving 237 and 241 students, respectively) serving essentially equivalent urban communities. Results of the study revealed significant effects for academic achievement and behavior in terms of grade point average and teacher ratings that favored students at the intervention site. At this site, greater participation of parents in the intervention program was found to be positively related to improvement of the children in grade point average. No differential site-related changes in negative behavior were observed.

Pen Pals Without Borders: A Cultural Exchange of Teaching and Learning

Thompson McMillon, G. M. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:49 PDT

When teachers and students are from different cultures, dissonance can occur in classrooms, which can be debilitating for effective literacy teaching and learning. Researchers have conducted studies in urban schools for many years, but the problem of cultural dissonance continues to plague many classrooms. It is imperative that teacher education programs develop creative, effective ways to prepare the teaching population to meet the needs of a diverse student population. This article reports the findings of a pen pal cultural exchange project between 40 predominantly White, female, preservice teachers in an elementary reading methods course, and 26 predominantly Black, fourth graders in an urban elementary school.The study analyzes 336 letters (154 children letters and 182 adult letters) to identity overarching themes. The content of the letters are analyzed using discourse analysis. The three most frequently found themes are shared experiences, overcoming adversities, and cultural practices and experiences. This study provides specific, practical methods for teacher educators to utilize in their courses and to help teachers and teacher candidates acquire important cultural knowledge and develop skills that prepare them to effectively teach the diverse student population in the United States. In particular, it provides a framework and specific ways to implement a pen pal cultural exchange project between preservice teachers and elementary students—students from two different worlds who became "border-crossers".

Quality Education for African Americans After Parents Involved: Introduction

Brown, F. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:42:56 PDT

This introduction discusses the possible impact of the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, which dismantled the ability of school boards to act affirmatively to desegregate their schools by assigning students to schools beyond their neighborhoods as sanctioned in the Court's 1971 decision in Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education. In addition, because this action will lead to de facto segregated schools by race and ethnicity, what are the possible implications for quality education for all students? Finally, the role of economic globalization on the need for the highest quality of education for racially isolated schools is discussed.

Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1: An Overview With Reflections for Urban Schools

Thro, W. E., Russo, C. J. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:42:56 PDT

In Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, a highly contentious and divided Supreme Court invalidated race-conscious admissions plans in two urban school systems, Seattle and Louisville. As such, Parents Involved was the latest chapter in the Court's almost 40-year history of reaching mixed results in such far-reaching areas involving race-conscious remedies as admissions to higher education, employment in the general workforce and in education, minority set aside programs, and voting rights. In light of the impact that Supreme Court cases on race-conscious remedies have in education, particularly in urban settings, this article first reviews the opinions of the Supreme Court's justices in Parents Involved because of its potentially far-reaching effect. The second part of the article reflects on the meaning of Parents Involved.

Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1: Policy Implications in an Era of Change

Pitre, P. E. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:42:56 PDT

This article examines the Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle Public School District No . 1 decision in light of its impact on the Brown ruling that preceded it. The Supreme Court's 5-4 vote on the matter of desegregation and equal access to educational opportunity signals that a divide exists in the United States with respect to the underlying educational values of excellence and equity. The current policy environment was examined and found to be dominated by the value of excellence at the expense of equity. Policy implications of the Parents Involved decision are considered, and policy recommendations for improving equitable access to education in the present environment are offered.

The Re-Segregation of Public Education Now and After the End of Brown v. Board of Education

McNeal, L. R. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:42:56 PDT

Approximately 50 years ago, Brown v. Board of Education was viewed by many as a turning point in American history that crystallized a national movement to eliminate state-enforced racially segregated public education. However, in recent years many parents, educators, and policy makers in education have begun to question whether Brown has made a substantive or symbolic impact on racially desegregating or providing quality education equity. Growing concerns about the ability of Brown to bring about meaningful desegregation and equity in education are exacerbated by the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1. This article examines the re-segregation of public education in the post—Brown era, the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling on voluntary integration plans, and strategies school districts may employ to promote school integration within the parameters of this Court decision.

Public School Administration and Brown v. Board of Education

Hunter, R. C. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:42:56 PDT

This article reviews educational initiatives of state and federal government that were designed to remedy the effects of racial segregation on Black public school students in the United States after the famous Brown v. Board of Education decisions. Several policy and legal initiatives are reviewed, including school desegregation, compensatory education, decentralization, school reform and restructuring, school finance litigation, state accountability models, school district takeovers, vouchers, charter schools, No Child Left Behind, and privatization.

Politics and School Desegregation Before and After Parents Involved

Brown, F., Hunter, R. C. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:42:56 PDT

The authors attempt to tell the story of Brown and Parents Involved on educational inequality and connect these topics to economic competition globally. Brown came about in the 1950s in a much different environment: America was less diverse racially and ethnically, and economic competition on a global scale was less than in today's economy. Today, America's future is closely tied to the large pool of minority children enrolled in its public schools. The authors explore the return of more public schools to the neighborhood concept and how these schools may produce high-quality graduates. Finally, they examine how legal challenges may shift to school inequality within school districts away from challenges to inequality between school districts in the past.

Erratum

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:29:59 PDT

Erratum

The Relationship Between Bible Literacy and Academic Achievement and School Behavior

Jeynes, W. H. — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:57:09 PDT

This study assessed the relationship between Bible literacy among secondary school students and their academic achievement and school behavior. One hundred and forty students in the 7th to 12th grade were randomly selected from a Christian school. Four measures of Bible knowledge were combined to obtain an overall measure of Bible literacy. They included a brief Bible test, the ease with which students declared that they could recite the 66 books of the Bible in order, the final grade from the last Bible course taken, and the results of previous Bible testing. The results indicate that of the three groups of students, those with the highest level of Bible literacy also had the highest average GPA. the highest ranking in test and grade results, and the best school behavior of the three groups. In contrast, those with the lowest level of Bible literacy also had the lowest average GPA, the lowest ranking in test and grade results, and the worst school behavior of the three groups.

The Power of Leadership, Collaboration, and Professional Development: The Story of the SMART Consortium

Williams, P. R., Tabernik, A. M., Krivak, T. — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:57:09 PDT

Few researchers support the belief that a school superintendent can drive improvements in student achievement. The Science and Mathematics Achievement Required for Tomorrow (SMART) Consortium was formed in northeast Ohio in 1998 with the belief that superintendents can have a measurable effect on student learning. The goal of this collaboration was to promote continuous improvement in mathematics and science achievement. The consortium's urban constituency ranged in size from 4,000 to 76,500. SMART superintendents led and supported the initiatives in which principals and teachers participated. Superintendent commitment and support empowered teachers to risk change and provided them with effective teaching tools and methods.

Changing Past Student Discipline Practices to Create a District-Wide Discipline Plan

Green, J. A. — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:57:09 PDT

Improving student discipline is a constant challenge in the field of P-12 education. The challenge is especially great for district-level administrators who must address the educational and social needs of all students. As a district-level administrator, the author participates in a study of a midwestern district of elementary (preschool-8) administrators and school board members implementing district-wide change surrounding discipline. Through collaboration and creativity among various constituents, the planners develop and implement a district-wide student discipline plan based on positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). This article presents the author's view of the study and includes descriptions of planning and implementation activities, communication, new district practices, accomplishments, and lessons learned in the overall process.

Networking for the Turnaround of a School District: The Boston University--Chelsea Partnership

Paletta, A., Stillings Candal, C., Vidoni, D. — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:57:09 PDT

The 20-year partnership between Boston University and the school district of Chelsea, Massachusetts, came to an official end in June 2008. Although the partnership is by many measures successful, the continued success of the district will depend on how well Boston University is able to share with stakeholders management techniques and the intellectual capital that the university helped to accumulate and produce. This article discusses how the partnership provided for Chelsea's future by working with stakeholders to promote student achievement and to capitalize on a network of private and nonprofit institutions to improve the school system.

Representin': Drawing From Hip-Hop and Urban Youth Culture to Inform Teacher Education

Irizarry, J. G. — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:57:09 PDT

The potential of drawing from urban youth culture, and hip-hop more specifically, to serve as a bridge to the standard curriculum has been well documented. However, the richness and potential benefits of hip-hop are more far-reaching and present significant implications for teacher education and professional development efforts as well. This article draws from several sites including research conducted with a group of urban teachers, urban youth and hip-hop culture, and postmodernism to forward the notion of Representin'—a shared sense of identity and responsibility based on membership in a socially constructed community—as a valuable disposition to be developed by teachers. Using urban youth culture as a "fund of knowledge" in teacher education has the potential to improve teaching practices and positively influence learning opportunities and outcomes for urban youth of color.

Immigration and Urban Schools: The Dynamics of Demographic Change in the Nation's Largest School District

Ellen, I. G., O'Regan, K., Conger, D. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:28:16 PST

The authors use a rich data set on New York City public elementary schools to explore how changes in immigrant representation have played out at the school level, providing a set of stylistic facts about the magnitude and nature of demographic changes in urban schools. They find that while the city experienced an overall increase in its immigrant representation over the 5 years studied, its elementary schools did not. Although the average school experienced little change during this period, a significant minority of schools saw sizable shifts. The change does not mirror the White flight and `tipping' associated with desegregation but rather suggests a tendency to stabilize, with declines in immigrant enrollments concentrated in schools with larger immigrant populations at the outset. The authors also find that changes in the immigrant shares influence the composition of the school's students, and that overall school demographic changes do not mirror grade-level changes within schools.

Exploring Superintendent Leadership in Smaller Urban Districts: Does District Size Influence Superintendent Behavior?

Hentschke, G. C., Nayfack, M. B., Wohlstetter, P. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:28:16 PST

Much of the existing literature on urban school reform focuses on how the relatively small number of our nation's largest urban districts are approaching school reform with these objectives in mind. However, does smaller district size have any bearing, direct or indirect, on the nature of superintendent leadership? The authors' exploratory research investigates the interplay between superintendent leadership strategies and behaviors, and district reform initiatives in a sample of relatively well-performing, smaller urban districts in California. The authors conducted interviews with superintendents and members of their leadership teams in four urban districts to examine how district size might influence superintendent leadership strategies, reform initiatives, and personal behaviors. The authors found that the personal leadership behaviors and associated operating processes (strategies and tactics for execution) appeared remarkably distinct from what superintendents do (or are expected to do) in very large urban school districts. The implications of these tentative findings are discussed in the conclusion.

Transformation in Reverse: Naive Assumptions of an Urban Educator

Hagiwara, S., Wray, S. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:28:16 PST

The complexity of urban contexts is often subsumed into generalizations and deficit assumptions of urban communities and its members by those unfamiliar with urban culture. This is especially true for teachers seeking work in urban schools. This article addresses the complex interpretations of urban through the lens of a White male graduate student teacher, Nathan, as he contemplates his experiences in urban school settings. The trajectory of his understanding of the complex nature of urban realities that influence the work of urban teachers and the lives of their students is discussed. The article concludes with implications for urban teacher education programs and teacher educators.

Organizational Routines in Flux: A Case Study of Change in Recording and Monitoring Student Attendance

Conley, S., Enomoto, E. K. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:28:16 PST

Using an organizational theory to study how people can actually change routines, this study examined alterations made to two aspects of a high school's attendance procedures over 5 years. The authors drew primarily from interviews and school documents to describe and analyze changes made by administrators, faculty, and staff. Organizing questions derived from Feldman's typology of change responses considered how individuals can elect to repair routines when problems occur, expand on new possibilities, and strive toward desired ideals despite routinized actions. The findings describe striving toward a faster, more efficient attendance system and shifting between teacher- and administrator-controlled tardy monitoring. Implications are drawn for school administrators seeking to understand and change school organizations.

Literacy for Playwriting or Playwriting for Literacy

Chizhik, A. W. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:28:16 PST

The article reports an empirical research study documenting how an integrated playwriting program within an urban, low—socioeconomic status middle school with a majority Latino/a population facilitates increased students' confidence regarding writing in addition to helping students learn transferable writing skills as measured by a districtwide writing sample. Students in the playwriting program with variable levels of writing skills are quantitatively compared with similar students in traditional language arts classrooms of the same urban school. In addition, qualitative methods are used to explore quantitative findings. To delve into possible reasons for these findings that are based on quantitative and qualitative research methods, the discussion of the results is informed by sociocultural learning theory with an emphasis on communities of practice and the motivational theory of self-determination.

Book Review: Suzuki, L. A., & Ponterotto, J. G. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of multicultural assessment: Clinical, psychological, and educational applications (3rd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass. 706 pp. ISBN 0787987034

Gfroerer, S. D. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:28:16 PST