By providing early access to education, early childhood and community-based programs are helping to close the achievement gap prevalent among children from impoverished homes.

Interdistrict open enrollment is the nation's largest and most widespread school choice program, but our knowledge of these programs is limited. Drawing on 5 years of student-level data from the universe of public school attendees in Colorado, we perform a three-stage analysis to examine the dynamics of student participation in the state's…

A longitudinal research study was conducted at a public university in Pennsylvania on a sample of 129 at-risk students from a state-funded program (Act 101) designed to provide support services for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. This research employed a non-experimental, ex post facto methodology to assess the impact of…

One of the important misconceptions in the American view of poverty is that people are poor because they do not work. This article presents an exercise, the "bottom line," which helps dispel students' misconceptions about the working poor. Through extensive primary-data collection and assembling a budget for low-skilled workers, the exercise: (1)…

Act 101 funds provide special classes, counseling, and tutorial support for participating academically, economically, and culturally deprived college students. (Author/IRT)

The article explores state (particularly Oregon's) programs' problems in trying to serve the needs of the ever-increasing number of disadvantaged elementary school students. Increased services are needed to identify at-risk students and help them as soon as possible with programs that have a lasting impact. (CB)

Discusses the history of welfare reform and the different approaches used in several states. Describes multiple models that have emerged in community colleges, including short-term training programs, open entry/exit programs or alternative entry dates, classes offered at unconventional times, company-specific programs, case-management strategies,…

Today more than half of the women in America raising children on their own get no financial support from the fathers. The article considers the following aspects of states' roles in dealing with that problem: (1) states' powers and alternatives for action; (2) difficulties faced by states in applying those powers; and (3) suggestions for…

This Children's Defense Fund report summarizes findings of a national survey, which indicate detrimental effects of Federal budget cuts in health care funds on economically disadvantaged mothers and children. Suggests that health funds for mothers and children are more important than defense expenditures and tax cuts for the non-needy. (MJL)

States where a large proportion of the poor are rural residents or racial/ethnic minorities provided less welfare support per poor child under Aid to Families with Dependent Children than did other states. No corresponding rural or racial/ethnic disadvantage was observed for the Food Stamp program, which has nationwide eligibility criteria and…

The Public Policy and Public Schools Program was developed to educate urban, low-income parents about the administration, curriculum, organization, legal structure, and finances of their children's schools. The program has increased parental involvement in local boards of education, school committees, and advocacy groups. Sample program activities…

Discusses program designed by the Educational Computer Consortium of Ohio (ECCO) to address the problems of equity in computer technology among minority, female, economically disadvantaged, and handicapped students. Six projects focusing on elementary and secondary school girls, minorities and economically disadvantaged students are described, and…

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) is unsatisfactory: it is biased against the poor, and allows the government to control the poor. Evaluates Massachusetts' Employment and Training (ET) program, and New Jersey's Realizing Economic Achievement (REACH) program. Offers recommendations for REACH and for an improved Federal welfare program.…

Describes the National Drug Control Strategy's nine-pronged approach in addressing drug abuse, which includes the formation of partnerships between federal, state, and local governments and the private and public sectors. The strategy includes prevention initiatives, individualized treatment programs for high-risk groups, education aimed at…

The purpose of compensatory education is grounded in the history and practice of addressing the effects of poverty on teaching and learning. The intended purpose of compensatory education was to provide additional investment in human capital for low-income students to compensate for the higher investments in human capital afforded to more…