This monograph critiques professional development schools (PDSs) and their role in the renewal of urban schools. Chapter 1 clarifies what is meant by the PDS model and describes the central goals of PDS initiatives. Chapter 2 critically assesses the value of PDSs to school renewal and the preparation of teachers for effective work in diverse urban schools and communities. It addresses the question of why the PDS framework is insufficient for effective, quality educational practice in diverse urban communities and critically reinterprets the notion of the PDS in light of the critical knowledge required for successful work in diverse urban contexts. A summary of problems related to applying the PDS framework to work in urban schools is included. This includes political status quo regarding problems of urban schooling, people being excluded from the PDS, organization of the PDS, and inadequacy of PDS theory. Chapter 3 explores alternative approaches for collaborative teacher preparation, professional development, and school renewal in diverse urban settings. The monograph concludes with a conceptual framework summarizing the features required for an equity-minded, urban-focused, and diversity-responsive type of collaborative approach to university-school partnerships. (Contains approximately 85 references.) (SM)