Urban school superintendents from Pennsylvania and New Jersey met to consider issues related to the improvement of urban secondary schools. Although the public is pessimistic about all urban public schools, it regards secondary schools with particular pessimism. There are 70 urban high schools in New Jersey and 81 in Pennsylvania. Superintendents grouped their problems into the three areas--expectations, resources, and education. Expectations concern not only the expectations teachers have for their students, which are often entirely too low, but also the expectations the public has of its school systems. Discussants unanimously agreed that resources for quality education in inner-city high schools are insufficient, but their definition of resources was broader than mere budgetary considerations. Because they did not imagine that either expectations or resources would improve greatly, superintendents acknowledged that they need to work with what they have and focus on education through professional development and improving the public's understanding of urban realities. Recommendations for helping urban secondary schools centered around these areas. (Contains 24 references.) (SLD)