Poverty shapes the experience of more than twelve million children in the United States. To further an understanding of the relationship between poverty and school performance in South Carolina public schools, we investigated the association of high and low poverty levels with a range of state report card variables for three school levels:…

Over the last three decades, cities across the United States have adopted strategies known as "proactive" or "broken windows" policing, with a focus on strict law enforcement for low-level crimes and extensive pedestrian stops. The initiatives have occurred disproportionately in poor communities of color, and an increasing…

This piece presents a theoretical exploration of the potential for the creation of policy that would inform the inclusion of arts and particularly theater courses in all community colleges. In April 2017, Fong et al. released a comprehensive meta-analysis that explored the relationship between psychosocial factors of self-perception and motivation…

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), like No Child Left Behind before it, requires states to report information on the academic achievement of students in each of their schools, both overall and for various subgroups of students. A subgroup of particular interest to policymakers and researchers is economically disadvantaged students,…

Despite improvements in college access, college completion rates remain low among students from low-income and otherwise vulnerable families. Over the past three decades, college prices rose dramatically, the real income of most families stagnated, and the purchasing power of need-based financial aid declined. To make up for substantial unmet…

Without a doubt, poverty has a negative influence on student achievement, especially when achievement is measured by state-mandated standardized tests. However, some bureaucrats, such as state commissioners of education and even state governors, continue to downplay the influence of poverty on student achievement. New Jersey's Governor Chris…

Given established links between social-emotional skills and academic achievement, there is growing support for implementing universal social/behavioral interventions in early schooling (Jones & Bouffard, 2012). Advocates have been particularly interested in implementing such programming in low income urban schools where students are likely to…

A decline of faith in the efficacy of education has been furthered by the perceived failure of social action programs to reduce poverty and assure racial justice and by the educational research purporting to show that the impact of schools is slight compared to other factors. One response open to educators is to consider policies other than those…

America's growing Asian population is comprised of strikingly diverse ethnic groups. Although many Asian immigrants have achieved academic and economic success, there remain barriers to full participation by Asians in American society. A greater understanding of Asian Americans and their cultures would benefit us all. (Author/BJV)

The Study of Academic Instruction for Disadvantaged Students explored the nature and effects of alternatives to conventional practices in mathematics, reading, and writing instruction in schools that serve high concentrations of children from low-income backgrounds. This report presents what was learned by describing and analyzing instructional…

Children who are raised in poverty currently run grave risks of educational failure. This paper approaches the issue, not through concentrating on special problems of, and programs for, the educationally at-risk, but through focusing on the educational problems of young people generally and on the effect that schools, not programs, play in…

The Latino population is the largest racial and ethnic minority group in Massachusetts. In the 1980s, the poverty rate of Latinos in the state was twice that of Blacks and six times that of Whites. With Latino children dropping out of school at a rate three times that of white children, the economic future of this population is bleak. The…

Summarizes research concerning the characteristics of at-risk students. Available research clearly demonstrates that the single most consistent factor characterizing at-risk students is social class. Consequently, studies investigating the impact of social class on school success are also reviewed. Research leads to specific suggestions for…

Public policy has recognized the need to develop selective programs that zero in on the needs of specific racial subgroups (especially those Chicanos, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans of mixed racial backgrounds). However, entering the 1970's, the strategy of approaching social problems in terms of their impact upon subgroups has been politically…

Studies of nearly a dozen welfare programs were reviewed to determine the effects of welfare policies on children and youth and to identify issues requiring consideration during reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The following were among the key findings: (1) the school achievement of elementary school-age…