Nationally, only 49 percent of schools offering federally subsidized lunches take part in the breakfast program. Research indicates a connection between breakfast and learning. For many children, eating breakfast at home is not an option. Lists some of the unfounded concerns about breakfast programs that school officials raise, and provides…

This article introduces a special issue which presents descriptions of six projects funded under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. The projects include demonstration programs, preservice training, and inservice training focusing on identifying and meeting the educational needs of students who are economically…

Even Start Family Literacy Program is a three-part program serving thousands of children from birth to age seven. The federal program supplies parents with the training to be their child's first teacher; allows them to gain needed literacy skills and complete their own formal education; and provides a preschool for young children. Children gain at…

To evaluate the effects of the 1988 Hawkins-Stafford Amendments on Chapter 1, the U.S. Department of Education is conducting several analyses of the program's new accountability features and other provisions. Current evaluation projects focus on early education, effective practices for at-risk children, and integrated services for preschool and…

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) aims to improve mental health services by funding research projects and research centers. NIMH also supports state planning, protection of and advocacy for the mentally ill, disaster relief, professional training, and public information programs. (DM)

A study compiled the reports of 12 Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services demonstration projects to examine services for individuals with severe disabilities and patterns of emphasis. Results showed a consistently greater emphasis on the program level and a lesser emphasis on other levels, particularly at the community level. The…

Describes and critiques the dominant understanding of poverty in the United States as reflected in its most common measure, the federal poverty line, commenting on the politics of poverty measurement and considering the implications of a revised measure of poverty for thinking about poor children and their education in this nation's schools. (SM)

This directory provides information on a variety of supportive and rehabilitative programs for people with deafness and hearing impairment. Listed are federal programs, state vocational rehabilitation offices, and regional and local programs. Also provided is a list of national professional organizations and centers, contacts for the National…

Supporting parental-involvement research findings, Congress in 1995 appropriated $10 million to fund 28 parent information and resource centers in 27 states and Washington, D.C. In 1999, 58 more were funded. Centers communicate personably with parents via newsletters, referral networks, websites, cable TV, and toll-free numbers. (MLH)

Explores why some education advocates say GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), which targets primarily middle school students, and TRIO serve different purposes and are both worthy of support, while others question whether there is really a need for both programs. Includes a sidebar detailing each program.…

During periods of high unemployment, many workers exhaust their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits before regaining employment. To help alleviate this problem, Congress created the extended benefits (EB) program, expanding the number of weeks of benefits available to UI recipients in high unemployment states. The EB program operates by…

Many higher education institutions today are struggling with the costs of their retiree health plans. The answer to controlling these costs may come in the form of a defined contribution retiree health plan for both current and future retirees. This article examines how such a plan can maximize availability of Medicare Part D prescription…

In the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in awareness of how interventions that address multiple risk factors and target both children and their families can help ensure that children grow up healthy and able to learn. In 1995, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) undertook a project to "map" state initiatives…

Project Porvenir was a federally-funded program serving 392 native Spanish-speaking, limited-English-proficient students in four Bronx (New York) elementary schools in 1992-93, its fifth and final year of operation. Participating students were general education students in grades 3-6 and special education students. Students received instruction in…

The Department of Education's Academic Excellence Program, which focused on implementation and dissemination of information on effective bilingual education programs, is reported and evaluated. The project's goal was to understand the processes and activities that support successful marketing, adoption, implementation, and sustainment of practices…