Book excerpt: <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.