This timely volume explores essential themes, issues, and challenges related to adolescents' lives and learning in underserviced urban areas. Distinguished scholars provide theoretically grounded, multidisciplinary perspectives on contexts and forces that influence adolescent development and achievement. The emphasis is on what is positive and effective, what can make a real difference in the lives and life chances for urban youths, rather than deficits and negative dysfunction. Going beyond solely traditional psychological theories, a strong conceptual framework addressing four domains for understanding adolescent development undergirds the volume:

• developmental continuities from childhood
• primary changes (biological, cognitive, social)
• contexts of development
• adolescent outcomes.

A major federal government initiative is the development of programs to support underserviced urban areas. Directly relevant to this initiative, this volume contributes significantly to gaining a realistic understanding of the contexts and institutions within which urban youths live and learn.