Unique Challenges in Urban Schools

Unique Challenges in Urban Schools
Author: Eric R. Jackson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2015-04-03
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1610480104

This study explores the various ways in which parental involvement can help to increase student academic success. More specifically, this analysis is based on the notions that: 1) parent involvement in inner city schools present unique challenges that are different from the traditional middle class perspective; 2) there is value in a cooperative approach between parents, teachers, and administrators that places the student at the center of each major discussion and decision; and 3) illustrates that parental involvement is a real perspective and not just rhetorical jargon. Although the focus of this book is in increasing parent involvement in inner city schools, readers must be mindful that the ultimate objective for this work and others like it is the successful educating of all children, so that they graduate from high school, and move into higher education, or into the workforce. Parent involvement by itself will not ensure academic success of children, but, combined with many strategies, including a clear understanding of the differences between an inner city school environment and a middle class school setting, effective teaching, sound and relevant curricula, safe and secure learning environment, and visionary leadership, children attending inner city schools can be just as effective as those in middle class school settings.

When Middle-Class Parents Choose Urban Schools

When Middle-Class Parents Choose Urban Schools
Author: Linn Posey-Maddox
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2014-03-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 022612035X

In recent decades a growing number of middle-class parents have considered sending their children to—and often end up becoming active in—urban public schools. Their presence can bring long-needed material resources to such schools, but, as Linn Posey-Maddox shows in this study, it can also introduce new class and race tensions, and even exacerbate inequalities. Sensitively navigating the pros and cons of middle-class transformation, When Middle-Class Parents Choose Urban Schools asks whether it is possible for our urban public schools to have both financial security and equitable diversity. Drawing on in-depth research at an urban elementary school, Posey-Maddox examines parents’ efforts to support the school through their outreach, marketing, and volunteerism. She shows that when middle-class parents engage in urban school communities, they can bring a host of positive benefits, including new educational opportunities and greater diversity. But their involvement can also unintentionally marginalize less-affluent parents and diminish low-income students’ access to the improving schools. In response, Posey-Maddox argues that school reform efforts, which usually equate improvement with rising test scores and increased enrollment, need to have more equity-focused policies in place to ensure that low-income families also benefit from—and participate in—school change.

Challenges of Urban Education

Challenges of Urban Education
Author: Karen A. McClafferty
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2000-01-27
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0791493210

A supplemental text with a fresh, bold edge, Challenges of Urban Education includes a range of topics from quantitative analyses of student demographics to the description and analysis of urban high school students' creative writing. The book bridges the dualisms of local and global, theory and practice, and structure and agency. It furthers the advancement of "the new sociology of education" by making connections between the social context of urban schooling and the lives of the individuals who are affected by it. [Contributors include Michael W. Apple; Anthony Gary Dworkin; Pamela Fenning; harry Handler; David Keiser; Karen A. McClafferty; Peter McLaren; Roslyn Arlin Mickelson; Theodore R. Mitchell; Raymond A. Morrow; Marianela Parraga; Margaret K. Purser; Ayman Sheikh-Hussin; Sid Thompson; Laurence A. Toenjes; Carlos Alberto Torres; Eugene Tucker; Amy Stuart Wells; Geoff Whitty; and Jim Wilczynski.]

Urban Schools

Urban Schools
Author: Laura Lippman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 24
Release: 1996
Genre: Education, Urban
ISBN:

Improving Urban Schools

Improving Urban Schools
Author: Chance W. Lewis
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2013-04-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1623962323

Although STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has been diversely defined by various researchers (e.g. Buck Institute, 2003; Capraro & Slough, 2009; Scott, 2009; Wolf, 2008), during the last decade, STEM education has gained an increasing presence on the national agenda through initiatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Institute for Educational Sciences (IES). The rate of technological innovation and change has been tremendous over the past ten years, and this rapid increase will only continue. STEM literacy is the power to “identify, apply, and integrate concepts from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to understand complex problems and to innovate to solve them” (Washington State STEM, 2011, Internet). In order for U.S. students to be on the forefront of this revolution, ALL of our schools need to be part of the STEM vision and guide students in acquiring STEM literacy. Understanding and addressing the challenge of achieving STEM literacy for ALL students begins with an understanding of its element and the connections between them. In order to remain competitive, the Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy has recommended that the US optimize “its knowledge-based resources, particularly in science and technology” (National Academies, 2007, p. 4). Optimizing knowledge-based resources needs to be the goal but is also a challenge for ALL educators (Scheurich & Huggins, 2009). Regardless, there is little disagreement that contemporary society is increasingly dependent on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and thus comprehensive understandings are essential for those pursuing STEM careers. It is also generally agreed that PK-12 students do not do well in STEM areas, both in terms of national standards and in terms of international comparisons (Kuenzi, Matthews, & Mangan, 2006; Capraro, Capraro, Yetkiner, Corlu, Ozel, Ye, & Kim, 2011). The question then becomes what might PK-12 schools do to improve teachers’ and students’ STEM knowledge and skills? This book will look at equity and access issues in STEM education from PK-12, university, and administrative and policy lenses.

Handbook of Urban Education

Handbook of Urban Education
Author: H. Richard Milner IV
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 791
Release: 2013-11-20
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1136206000

This volume brings together leading scholars in urban education to focus on inner city matters, specifically as they relate to educational research, theory, policy, and practice. Each chapter provides perspectives on the history and evolving nature of urban education, the current education landscape, and helps chart an all-important direction for future work and needs. The Handbook addresses seven areas that capture the breadth and depth of available knowledge in urban education: (1) Psychology, Health and Human Development, (2) Sociological Perspectives, (3) Families and Communities, (4) Teacher Education and Special Education, (5) Leadership, Administration and Leaders, (6) Curriculum & Instruction, and (7) Policy and Reform.

African American Students in Urban Schools

African American Students in Urban Schools
Author: James L. Moore (III.)
Publisher: Peter Lang Pub Incorporated
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2012
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9781433106873

<I>African American Students in Urban Schools offers readers a critical yet comprehensive examination of the issues affecting African American students' outcomes in urban school systems and beyond. Across disciplines including teacher education, school counseling, school psychology, gifted education, career and technical education, higher education, and more, chapters use theoretical and conceptual analysis and research-based evidence to examine the unique challenges facing urban African American students and illustrate what can be done to help. This book will enable readers to better understand many of the complex and multifaceted dilemmas faced by today's urban school systems and will motivate readers to make a commitment to improve urban schools for the betterment of African American students.

Urban Education for the 21st Century

Urban Education for the 21st Century
Author: Festus E. Obiakor
Publisher: Charles C Thomas Publisher
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2005
Genre: Education
ISBN: 039807612X

This timely book exposes the complexities and realities facing urbanness and urban schools that are inadequately funded and denigrated, along with students who continue to be misidentified, misassessed, miscategorized, misplaced, and misinstructed by illprepared and unprepared educators and service providers. The text very successfully demonstrates the comprehensive nature and connectedness of problems and prospects in urban education. This book will be an added resource to researchers, scholars, educators, and service providers. It should be an excellent required text for graduate and undergraduate courses in all branches of education. Addition-ally, the book will be of interest to education administrators at all levels, public school teachers, policy makers, and change agents. The thirteen chapters discuss and explore the following primary topics:• Urban education and the quest for democracy, equity, and excellence• Educating urban learners with and without special needs• Personnel preparation and urban schools• Teaching and learning in urban schools• Educational leadership in urban schools• Insights into educational psychology and what urban practitioners must know• Managing violence in urban schools• Financing urban schools• Reducing the power of “whiteness” in urban schools• Promises and challenges of building and the future perspectives of urban education.

Urban Schools

Urban Schools
Author: Laura Lippman
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 232
Release: 1996-12
Genre: Education, Urban
ISBN: 0788136321

Global Perspectives on Issues and Solutions in Urban Education

Global Perspectives on Issues and Solutions in Urban Education
Author: Petra A. Robinson
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2019-03-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1641135409

In 2014, The Urban Education Collaborative at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte hosted its first biennial International Conference on Urban Education (ICUE) in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In 2016, the second hosting of the conference took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Additionally, in 2018, the third hosting of the conference took place in Nassau, Bahamas. These solution-focused conferences brought together students, teachers, scholars, public sector and business professionals as well as others from around the world to present their research and best practices on various topics pertaining to urban education. With ICUE’s inspiration, this book is a response to the growing need to highlight the multifaceted aspects of urban education particularly focusing on common issues and solutions in urban environments (e.g., family and community engagement, student academic achievement, teacher preparation and professional development, targeted instructional and disciplinary interventions, opportunity gaps, culturally-relevant and sustaining practices, etc.). Additionally, with this book, we seek to better understand the challenges facing urban educators and students and to offer progressive initiatives toward resolutions. This unique compilation of work is organized under four major themes all targeted at critically addressing concerns that may inhibit the success of urban learners and providing solutions that have implications for curriculum design, development, and delivery; teacher preparation and teaching diverse populations; career readiness and employment; and even more nuanced issues related to foster care, undocumented students and mental health, sustainable consumption, childhood marriage, food deserts, and marine life and urban communities.