An urban student faces many disadvantages when attending school, regardless of whether they attend a public or private school. Before we can consider how to take an urban student seriously, we need to examine where they come from. Urban students are those who live in higher-density communities within urban centers; areas of diversity, poverty, crime and low income. Today we can better assign the term “urban school” to the public schools located in these metropolitan areas. Many of these schools exist within education systems that do not have sufficient resources and quality educators to ensure their educational needs are met. We also tell ourselves that the United States cannot or could never fully successfully resolve the problems with our education system, but we are able to continue our efforts. Urban students themselves must take a stand on their education to have a better future. Furthermore, educational attainment is related to the availability of opportunities, as well as the individual's academic ability, financial resources, and perseverance. Urban students face numerous challenges, as many urban students come from neighbors or communities surrounded by alcohol, drugs, sex, ongoing violence, and poverty. Living in communities where urban students are surrounded by drug dealers and some drug dealers being urban individuals, urban students know firsthand whether they went to school with the person who is now the drug dealer or who they grew up with. Urban students now have to deal with pressure from drug dealers who try to influence urban students to drop out of school and turn to a life of drugs and violence. According to the Students Against Destructive Decisions Organization, about three out of... half the paper... ol. 15 September 2010. Web. 13 Dec 2010.Ricco, Adrienne. “Take female students seriously.” Yagelski 213-220. Students against destructive decisions. SAD. May 8, 2010. Web. December 8, 2010. United States. Census Bureau. “2008 Current Population Census”. January 4, 2010. Web. December 10, 2010. United States. Census Bureau. “Characteristics of the Population Below the Poverty Level: 2008.” Current Population Reports, P-60 Series. Report no. 133. Washington, DC 2008. Print.United States. US Department of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. National Center for Education Statistics. 2008a. The State of Education, June 6, 2009. Web. December 11, 2010. Wright, Richard. "The library card." Yagelski 137-144. Yagelski, Robert P., ed. Reading Our World: Conversations in Context 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.