ABSTRACT
For a number of years, public elementary and secondary schools in the United States have been perceived as being in a state of crisis and calls for educational reform have been widespread. In urban public schools, particularly, where student populations tend to be most heterogeneous, there is widespread evidence that students who are not White and middle class are not faring well, academically, personally, or socially (Fine 1991; Fine and Weis 1993). Among African American students, school failure rates have reached critical proportions. A variety of indices ranging from standardized test scores to behavioral reports indicate that public schools across the United States are failing to educate African American children effectively. Nationally, calls for alternatives to this situation have been raised, and in some cases, bold and unique responses have been attempted.
