This review of selected literature examines the National Science Foundation's standards-based systemic reform theory in the context of research reported by science, mathematics, and urban education policy experts. This review is specifically concerned with viewing evidence of relationships among identified change variables that are associated with fostering high achievement in mathematics and science of urban and underrepresented minority students. Four categories of variables are identified as being useful in studying student achievement: (1) demographic information;(2) test data; (3) teacher development; and (4) mathematics and science curriculum. The review reveals little researcher agreement regarding variable relationships that might predict a chain of influence from policy to classroom practice and finally to student performance. An appendix contains an abstract of the proposed Urban Systemic Initiative evaluative study. (Contains 124 references.) (Author/SLD)