College graduation rates for minority students are often shockingly low. Most institutions have significantly lower graduation rates for black students than for white students. This report demonstrates that these high-failure rates are not inevitable: Some institutions are graduating black students at a higher rate than white students. The report…

Noting that families need access to high quality care so that their children can start school ready to learn and so that parents can work, this report examines state child care subsidy policy choices. Following an executive summary, chapter 1 of the report discusses state policy regarding eligibility criteria related to families receiving welfare,…

The booklet presents a report on the operation and use of person numbering (PN) systems for vital and health statistics in Israel and Scandinavia. A PN system involves assigning a different number to each individual within a given society and using that number for commercial, governmental, and military identification. The purpose of the report is…

Recent trends do not indicate that teachers' traditionally low salaries are improving dramatically, though several states have taken steps to raise salaries and make teaching more attractive. As student enrollments fell by almost 15 percent between 1974 and 1984, the number of teachers decreased by less than one-tenth of 1 percent. The resulting…

Illiteracy is a serious problem in the United States, and Hispanics have substantially higher rates of illiteracy than any other major population group: by the traditional measure of literacy, the completion of five years of schooling, 11.9 percent of Hispanics 25 years and older could be considered illiterate, compared to 1.8 percent of the…

This briefing book from the Children's Defense Fund contains factsheets on child care and early education issues. Areas covered include basic facts about early childhood education and care; their importance to children, families, and communities; some of the challenges facing families who need day care; and key child care and early education…