This collection of papers examines the current issues in urban education as suggested by on-site studies of programs in sixteen different cities between 1977 and 1980. An overview of the problems in urban education and their causes is presented in the first paper. The second paper discusses program improvement strategies and several examples of efforts to adapt curriculum and instruction to the differences in the cultural backgrounds and personal characteristics of students. Basic skills, bilingual and special education programs are examined. Also discussed are the characteristics of successful school environments. The third paper reviews the conditions necessary for systemwide renewal with emphasis on career centers, alternative schools, school community collaboration, staff development and school management. Strategies for optimizing educational resources through school community interactions and new approaches to inservice education are discussed in the fourth paper. The fifth paper discusses the evaluation process and objectives of evaluation, with emphasis on strategies for improvement. The final paper further explores systemwide renewal and the measures needed to meet the demands on education in the 1980s. (JCD)