Urban Education recent issues

Editorial

Lomotey, K. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:36 PDT

The Principal's Role in Professional Development for Social Justice: An Empirically-Based Transformative Framework

Kose, B. W. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:36 PDT

Literature on principal leadership in professional development offers important but underdeveloped conceptions of how school principals promote professional development for social justice. This article offers an empirically-based framework of the principal’s role in professional development for social justice. An in-depth qualitative multicase study design was used to examine how three school principals for social justice influenced professional learning in their schools. Data collection included 5 months of field work and more than 40 semistructured interviews with principals, teachers, specialists, and other personnel. Data suggest five principal roles worked together to optimize professional learning: transformative visionary, transformative learning leader, transformative structural leader, transformative cultural leader, and transformative political leader.

Educational Attainment of Haitian Immigrants

Nicolas, G., DeSilva, A., Rabenstein, K. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:36 PDT

Educational attainment is often linked to upward mobility in the United States. As a result, current research has focused on the educational attainment of various racial groups, including Black Americans. However, few studies have examined the various ethnic and immigrant groups that comprise the Black population. To address this gap, the current article focuses on the educational attainment of Haitian immigrants (n = 150) living in the United States. Results indicate that socioeconomic status (SES) is a predictor of educational attainment but, contrary to previous research, gender and aspirations are unrelated. Implications for educators and policy makers are discussed.

Parent Involvement in Children's Education: An Exploratory Study of Urban, Chinese Immigrant Families

Ji, C. S., Koblinsky, S. A. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:36 PDT

This exploratory study examined the involvement of Chinese immigrant parents in children’s elementary and secondary education. Participants were 29 low-income, urban parents of public school children working primarily in the hospitality sector. Parents were interviewed about their academic expectations, knowledge of school performance, parent involvement, and barriers to involvement. Participants reported high academic expectations but only half had knowledge of their children’s school performance. Approximately 35% attended parent—teacher conferences, 14% helped with homework, and 10% volunteered at school. No parents participated in school decision making or community collaborations. Limited English and demanding work schedules were major barriers to involvement. Recommendations for educators are presented.

Different Folks, Different Hopes: The Educational Aspirations of Black Males in Urban, Suburban, and Rural High Schools

Strayhorn, T. L. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:36 PDT

The educational aspirations of Black males in urban, suburban, and rural high schools were examined in this study, using a nationally-representative sample of respondents to the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS:88/00). Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between aspirations and SES, academic achievement, and urban city with high-SES, high-achieving, suburban Black males reporting the highest aspirations. Leveled and/or lower aspirations were associated with low-SES, low-achieving, Black males in urban and rural settings. Implications for future practice, theory, and research are discussed, along with recommendations for future policy.

Editorial

Lomotey, K. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:09 PDT

New Public Management and District Reform: Managerialism and Deflection of Local Leadership in a Texas School District

Maxcy, B. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:09 PDT

Examining work and community relations in one Texas school district, this study explores intensifying managerialism under performance accountability (PA) pressures. Reports, press releases, and media accounts are combined with ethnographic study from one elementary school to explore the enactment of school district reforms. Locating PA within a broader public sector reform approach termed New Public Management (NPM), the article looks at the influence of accountability relations informed by these logics on work and community relations. In contrast to rhetorical promises of improved responsiveness to client concerns, the findings suggest more centralized decision making and control as district administrators respond to state targets. Implications for reform logics that invoke and reinforce an antidemocratic managerialism are discussed in light managerial practice that deflect community activism and discipline teacher work.

Choosing to Teach in Urban Schools Among Graduates of Elite Colleges

Tamir, E. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:09 PDT

According to the research literature, there are three reasons that draw teachers into teaching: (1) gender-related reasons, (2) altruistic reasons, and (3) monetary rewards and job flexibility. Based on data from three teacher preparation programs, this article argues that teachers who were trained at elite colleges and who chose teaching in urban schools rarely referred to any of the three reasons. Instead, these teachers tend to (a) conceptualize teaching around issues of social justice and social change, arguing they joined teaching to improve society, and (b) seek leadership positions in urban education. Using Bourdieu’s concepts of field and capital, these arguments are theorized and hypotheses for further research are developed.

The Color of Money: School Funding and the Commodification of Black Children

Vaught, S. E. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:09 PDT

This article explores the roles of racism and Whiteness in the decentralized governance structure and practice of a weighted student formula funding policy in an urban, West Coast school district. Specifically, it examines the ways in which a racialized struggle for fiscal authority played out at one urban high school where the immense racial disparities in education and achievement were starkly highlighted. The analysis of this struggle is framed by Critical Race Theory and suggests that Whiteness operates as a form of property that maintains White racial dominance in schooling and achievement.

Facing the Rising Sun: A History of Black Educators in Washington, DC, 1800-2008

Frederick, R. M., View, J. L. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:09 PDT

Over 50 years after the monumental decision of Brown v. Board of Education, many U.S. schools remain separate and unequal. This includes schools in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. The article discusses how in the two centuries of public education in Washington, D.C., Black educators used a variety of subversive tactics to educate their children. This article chronicles critical milestones in educational policy that affected Black educators working in segregated, all-Black schools in Washington, D.C. The authors demonstrate that, in the face of the oppressive sociopolitical conditions and racist policies, Black educators continued to serve in their own interests by fostering liberatory spaces for their children.

Rewriting "the Road to Nowhere": Place Pedagogies in Western Sydney

Gannon, S. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:09 PDT

Negative representations of parts of our cities are endemic in the Australian media, where certain suburbs function as motifs for failure—past, present, and future. Indeed, as one journalist put it after invoking the "interchangeable" triumvirate of Sydney’s Mount Druitt, Melbourne’s West Heidelberg, and Brisbane’s Inala, "geography is destiny" (Wynhausen, 2006). This article critiques the discourses at play in the media and explores the possibilities and limitations of a pilot project wherein an urban place-based pedagogy is taken up as a mode of critical response as high school students begin to document in text and images what they love about "Our place." Further possibilities for engaging critically with place are explored in the concluding section of the article.

Students With Disabilities: A Missing Component in the Urban Education Agenda

Williams Shealey, M., Blanchett, W. J. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:56 PDT

A Retrospective Examination of Urban Education: From Brown to the Resegregation of African Americans in Special Education--It Is Time to "Go for Broke"

Blanchett, W. J. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:56 PDT

Despite the fact that African American and other students of color, students labeled as having disabilities, and poor students in urban schools are indisputably linked in terms of the quality of schooling they have experienced, few attempts have been made to examine the relationship between special education and urban education. Both students placed in special education and those who attend urban schools have a long history of being miseducated, under-educated, and treated inequitably by the American educational system, with the American educational system at times excluding these students altogether from receiving a free and appropriate public education. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide (a) a historical analysis of special education and the treatment of students with disabilities prior to the Brown decision; (b) an analysis of the challenges that students with disabilities, African American and students of color, poor students in urban schools, and students affected by all three have historically experienced in their quest to receive a free and appropriate education in the American educational system; (c) a discussion that illustrates that special education is the new tool for the resegregation of African American and other students of color in special education; (d) a discussion of who the real beneficiaries of failed urban schools are and why they resist providing an equitable education to all children; and (e) specific examples of what it means to go for broke in calling out educational inequities and advocating for African American and other students of color, poor students, students with disabilities, students in urban settings, and students affected by all of these factors and issues.

The Intersection of Race, Culture, Language, and Disability: Implications for Urban Education

Blanchett, W. J., Klingner, J. K., Harry, B. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:57 PDT

To date, few researchers have sought to examine the effect of issues of race, culture, language, and disability, let alone to look specifically at the intersection of these issues, as it relates to special education identification, special education service delivery, and students of color’s access to an equitable education. Thus, this article will attempt to help urban education researchers and educators understand (a) why the intersection of race, culture, language, and disability is an urban education issue; (b) how issues of race, culture, language, and disability affect students’ and their families’ quest for an equitable education; (c) how to advocate for and provide culturally responsive services to racially, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students and their families; and (d) the implications of the intersection of race, culture, and disability for urban education practice, research, and policy.

What Does "Highly Qualified" Mean for Urban Special Educators?

Williams Shealey, M., Alvarez Mchatton, P., Farmer, J. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:57 PDT

In this article, the authors discuss the context of urban special education and the complexities of meeting the demands of standards-based reform in urban settings. The study presented highlights the voices of urban special educators in two large urban school districts as they navigate meeting the demands of teaching students with disabilities, and share their perceptions of their roles and responsibilities as a result of No Child Left Behind Act. Findings reveal several implications for educational policy and areas of future research in teacher quality and workplace conditions for urban special educators.

The Complexities of Systems Change in Creating Equity for Students With Disabilities in Urban Schools

Kozleski, E. B., Smith, A. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:57 PDT

This article explores the complexities of urban school improvement and systems change through the lens of educational equity policy initiatives. The authors situate urban schools within a critical context where contested identity politics, sociopolitical agendas, and economic stratification marginalize culturally and linguistically diverse students. The study uses the elements of a framework for systemic change and examines urban schools. Analyzing local educational change, the authors examine the interaction between structural reform, collective, community narratives about children, and their impacts on the urban schools. Along with lessons learned from school improvement and technical assistance activities, these perspectives look at how local-activity arenas respond to reform and how understanding the complexities of local practice could inform the next-generation policy initiatives. Without deep and shared understanding, the strategies employed to achieve short-term improvements will circumvent work on the changes required to shift students from the margins while simultaneously changing the mainstream conditions.

Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners With Disabilities in Urban Settings

Rodriguez, D. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:57 PDT

English-language learners with disabilities are capable of learning and are entitled to high-quality educational experiences. Their academic and social needs should be considered from multiple perspectives. To be effective, bilingual special education programs must implement best practices. This article highlights findings from research devoted to examining the influence of language on teaching and learning.

Role of School Counselors in Creating Equitable-- Educational Opportunities for Students With Disabilities in Urban Settings

Mitcham, M., Agahe Portman, T. A., Afi Dean, A. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:19:57 PDT

This article will explore the school counselor’s role of advocate, champion of social justice, social change agent, and urban school counselor to empower marginalized students, specifically those with disabilities, to increase achievement and educational opportunities and be successful.

Editorial

Lomotey, K. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

Book Review: Ladson-Billings, G., & Gillborn, D. (2005). The Routledge Falmer Reader in Multicultural Education: Critical Perspectives on Race, Racism, and Education. London: Routledge/Falmer, 256 pp., $55.95

Armstrong, D. E., Joshee, R. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

High School Reform Implementation: Principals' Perceptions on their Leadership Role

White-Smith, K. A., White, M. A. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

This research is a collection of comparative case studies that examine the perspectives of four principals in their 1st year of implementing the High School College Collaborative (HSCC), which works to provide traditionally underserved high school students with the opportunity to receive college credit, possibly an associate of arts degree, concurrently with their high school diploma. In this research, we address the following questions: (a) What are the principals' experiences with implementing HSCC? (b) What are the specific challenges these principals face? and (c) How did the principals negotiate these challenges? This study aims to broaden perspectives on the requirements of school change work, thus increasing both principals' effectiveness and learning opportunities for all students.

Associations of Future Expectations, Negative Friends, and Academic Achievement in High-Achieving African American Adolescents

Cunningham, M., Corprew, C. S., Becker, J. E. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

The relations of future expectations (general and academic) to academic outcomes were examined in a sample of 129 African American high-achieving adolescents (majority female participants, n = 92). This study was interested in the multidimensional nature of future expectations. Results from the study confirm the hypothesis that academic future expectations accounted for more variance in the relation to academic outcomes than general future expectations. In addition, the results suggest that the association of academic future expectations to grade point average lessens in the presence of negative friends. Suggestions for future research are offered.

Latino and White High School Students' Perceptions of Caring Behaviors: Are We Culturally Responsive to our Students?

Garza, R. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

This study examines Latino and White high school students' perceptions of teacher behaviors that convey caring. Major findings of students' perceptions generated five dominant themes: (a) provide scaffolding during a teaching episode, (b) reflect a kind disposition through actions, (c) are always available to the student, (d) show a personal interest in the student's well-being inside and outside the classroom, (e) and provide affective academic support in the classroom setting. I highlight similarities and uniqueness between the two ethnic groups, generating new information that teachers can use to examine their own practice to determine the extent of culturally responsive caring.

Teachers Closing the Discipline Gap in an Urban Middle School

Monroe, C. R. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

This study focuses on student discipline as related to the perceptions, work, and backgrounds of effective Black and White teachers. The article expands current knowledge by reporting findings from a case study of 4 teachers (2 African Americans and 2 Whites) employed in an urban, predominately African American middle school. Interviews, field visits, and documents were analyzed according to guidelines created by Miles and Huberman (1994) and collectively point to four themes: (a) learning-based perceptions of student behavior, (b) the role of preservice teacher preparation, (c) the influence of remembered teachers and teacher mentors, and (d) outreach efforts to students' parents and families. The study's implications for future scholarship and practice are considered.

Insisting on Digital Equity: Reframing the Dominant Discourse on Multicultural Education and Technology

Gorski, P. C. — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:44:50 PDT

In the United States, where technological progress is portrayed as humanistic progress, computer technologies often are hailed as the great equalizers. Even within progressive education movements, such as multicultural education, the conversation about instructional technology tends to center more on this or that wonderful Web site or piece of software than on equitable access to these technologies. In this article, the author challenges people working at the intersections of multicultural and instructional technology, insisting that our first concern must be the elimination of digital inequities. It is only when we reframe the dominant discourse in this way that we practice authentic multicultural education.