Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material / Alberto J. Rodriguez -- Connecting Traditional Ecological Knowledge and WesternScience / Pauline W.U. Chinn -- A Commentary on Pauline Chinn’s Connecting Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science / Kenneth Tobin -- A Response to Tobin’s Commentary / Pauline Chinn -- Students Acting as Change Agents in Culturally Diverse Schools / Alberto J. Rodriguez , Cathy Zozakiewicz and Randy Yerrick -- Commentary on Rodriguez, Zozakiewicz and Yerrick’s Students Acting as Change Agents in Culturally Diverse Schools / Jerome Shaw -- Response to Shaw’s Commentary / Alberto J. Rodriguez -- Structuring Success in Science Labs / Kenneth Kenneth Tobin -- A Commentary on Kenneth Tobin’s Structuring Success in Science Labs / Wolff-Michael Roth -- A Response to Wolff-Michael Roth’s Commentary / Kenneth Tobin and Wolff-Michael Roth -- Agency and Passivity / Wolff-Michael Roth -- Commentary on Wolff-Michael Roth’s Agency and Passivity / Pauline W.U. Chinn -- A Response to Pauline Chinn’s Commentary / Wolff-Michael Roth -- Standards-Based Science for English Language Learners / Jerome Shaw -- Commentary on Jerome Shawa’s Standards-Based Science for English Language Learners / Angela Calabrese Barton -- Response to Angela Barton’s Commentary / Jerome Shaw -- Co-Opting Science / Angela Calabrese Barton and Loaiza Ortiz -- A Commentary on Angela Barton and Loaiza Ortiz’ Seeing and Rethinking the Daily Agency of Urban Girls / Cathy Zozakiewicz -- A Response to Zozakiewicz’ Commentary / Angela Calabrese Barton -- About the Authors / Alberto J. Rodriguez -- Index / Alberto J. Rodriguez -- New Directions in Mathematics and Science Education / Alberto J. Rodriguez.

This timely edited volume examines the education of children and youth in urban settings and offers compelling alternatives for successfully engaging them in school learning. Urban schools serve a large proportion of students who are poor, of color, and speakers of languages other than English. The multiple faces of agency: Innovative strategies for effecting change in urban school contexts is a new and significant addition to the literature in urban education. The editor of the book and contributing scholars are to be commended for assembling such an exciting collection of innovative research for publication. The volume’s central message - the power of human agency - may help transform teaching and learning in urban schools. If this happens, urban school children and youth, who deserve better than they have received to date, stand to benefit the most from this work.