This paper presents an overview of some of Michael Cole's work, starting with his pioneering research in Liberia with the Kpelle (and later, with Sylvia Scribner, studies of literacy with the Vai, 1981), which was formative of his version of a cultural-historical psychology, his translation and interpretations of the work of L. S. Vygotsky and…

The idea that one of the Catholic Church's most respected religious orders might run a public school sounded odd, maybe even, as Francis Cardinal George, head of the Archdiocese of Chicago, conjectured, illegal. But a decade ago several trends in American education, and in the Catholic Church, made a Catholic-operated public school seem…

These "Stories From the Field" describe five Wallace-funded programs working to expand learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children, so they can benefit from the types of opportunities their wealthier counterparts have access to, from homework help to swimming classes. The report details each program's approach, successes and…

The Fresno-Long Beach Learning Partnership is a collaboration that aims to improve student outcomes, accelerate achievement for all students, and close achievement gaps by capitalizing on shared systemic capacity-building across two high-need districts. The Partnership is a joint effort of the third- and fourth-largest districts in California to…

This paper describes an instance of a disadvantaged (urban) Australian government school that realized it had little alternative but to try new approaches; "old ways" were not working. The paper describes an ensemble of school reform practices, philosophies and strategies that give young adolescents genuine ownership of their learning.…

Describes the Ten-Schools Program (TSP) in Los Angeles (California). Among the features described are academic goals, staff development, an extended school year, parental involvement, extensive attention to oral and written language, and special counseling services. (EVL)

The Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) program was established in 1995 to make a significant long-term positive impact on the educational attainment of children and families in disadvantaged areas of the United Kingdom. This report examines the work of the PEEP program for the period April 1998 through March 1999. The sections of the…

A school head from a disadvantaged area of Birmingham, England, describes how a school can be made into a caring, nurturing, positive place which can help to counteract the social stresses of the inner city environment. (SJL)

From the perspective of the project leader, this book traces the growth and development of the Early Childhood and Family Education Project in Morasha, Israel, during the 8 years of its existence (1982-1990). Chapter 1 describes Morasha, a poor, immigrant neighborhood in Ramat HaSharon, and the author's childhood there. Chapter 2 describes the…

At this time, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is commemorating its 50th anniversary, under the slogan "children first." This annual UNICEF report reviews the organization's activities during 1995. An introduction by the executive director states that the report will give readers a sense of what UNICEF is doing with partners to…

In 1997, twelve Karen Burmese teachers brought a Vision Paper to the Tham Hin refugee camp in Thailand. The teachers had recently written this Paper after much consultation with their Mergui-Tavoy villagers, students, leaders, and school dropouts. Over the following five years teams developed a project outlining 10 steps to educational reform,…

"Udbhas," which means "expression," is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to spread literacy and promote post-literacy education among the underprivileged children in the slums of Calcutta, India. This paper describes the creation, work, and benefits to children of Udbhas. The paper notes that most of the organization's…

This report discusses the proposed Grad*Star Program (a Women's Educational Equity Act Program) to deal with the extremely serious dropout program in Northern Kentucky. Housed at the University of Kentucky, it examines such factors as poor economic conditions, large numbers of women and households headed by women that exist below the poverty…

This grant proposal describes Project GOLD (Garfield Options for Leadership Development), an after-school and summer program designed to serve African American middle school-aged youth in Richmond, Virginia. The youths are residents of public housing, are primarily from female-headed households, and are typically at least one school year behind…