Describes the Bronx Corridor of Success Initiative, a collaborative program linking schools, colleges, health institutions, and social agencies that promotes systemic educational reform in low-income communities. Discusses the strategies and outcomes from the first four years of the initiative, established in 1992, and lessons learned. (EMH)

Many programs have tried to offset the problems with which many children of low socioeconomic status (SES) enter public schools. Some of these programs have attempted to better prepare preschool children for school, while others have tried to help children already struggling in school. The United States has one of the highest child-poverty rates…

This booklet examines the plight of homeless families who have children who need special educational services. It explores the magnitude of homelessness among families, provides empirical descriptions of homeless populations, and identifies factors contributing to the rising incidence of homelessness in the United States. Specific effects of…

Educators are under increasing pressure from policymakers and the public to demonstrate that educational resources are used in appropriate ways. This demand, coupled with an environment of increased standards and shrinking budgets, is a major challenge to rural, small, and low-income schools. This digest reviews contemporary research on resource…

The recent United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women concluded that if women are to advance in status socially, economically, and politically, they must have access to high quality education. Although women in the United States have steadily increased their educational status, the fact that 23 percent of women aged 25 and over have not gone…

Many experts have endorsed small schools as educationally effective, often adding parenthetically that smaller size is especially beneficial for impoverished students. A recent series of studies, the "Matthew Project," bolsters these claims. This digest reviews recent thinking about small school size, describes the Matthew Project…

Uses the Los Angeles Partners Advocating Student Success, an interinstitutional educational reform effort, as a case study in collaboration. Discusses the role of the president, and contends that collaboration provides community colleges with new opportunities to promote access and enhance the educational success of underserved students by…

In response to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and its amendments, most urban schools have created special programs for homeless students to help them succeed academically and to offer them access to social services and a safe and stress-free environment. Recruitment, enrollment, and service coordination policies are adapted to the…

The purpose of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is to establish job training and employment assistance programs for economically disadvantaged youth and hard-to-hire, unskilled adults. Like the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), JTPA works through a locally based program delivery system. Unlike CETA, JTPA calls for equal…

Despite the commissions and politicians that decry the failures of public education, thousands of teachers, principals, and administrators struggle daily to provide children with an education that will open doors. This article examines some of these educators' efforts, which demonstrate that change and success are possible. Interviews were…

Summarizes recent ERIC documents on at-risk children. (Author/BB)

Despite stereotypes to the contrary, homelessness is as prevalent in rural as urban areas. This digest examines the implications of homelessness for rural children and youth and discusses possible actions by rural educators. An estimated half of the rural homeless are families with children. Compared to urban counterparts, rural homeless families…

Despite the proliferation in the last decade of school-college collaboratives designed to help disadvantaged students, a number of unsolved problems about their operation have limited their effectiveness. Schools and colleges collaborate to solve mutual problems in the areas of student development, school improvement, and college improvement. Some…

Founded by the federal government in 1966 as an educational research documentation network, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has evolved in both scope and philosophy over the past years. This publication is a tribute to the ERIC program as it enters its fourth decade. The contents, which were chosen to chronicle the progress of…

Collaboration has become a pervasive strategy for systemic change in human services, education, government, and community agencies. Collaborative partnerships require a change in thinking and in operating. Such changes can be intimidating or threatening. In addition, other barriers must be overcome to make partnerships work. Examples of successful…