According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, childhood obesity rates are highest among ethnic minorities. It is very helpful to consider the role of culture when attempting to analyze and explain obesity rates in ethnic minority populations. Culture influences the attitudes and beliefs toward exercise, food and nutrition, and…

Vulnerable children in Michigan face intersecting disparities, with race, class and geographic location often combining to limit access to health, education and economic security. Addressing this reality requires reliable and comprehensive data that can guide thoughtful action within communities and among institutions alike. To this end, the W. K.…

"Good Schools in Poor Neighborhoods" contrasts highly effective schools serving urban, low-income, minority youth with their more typical, struggling counterparts. Highlighted are two disparate schools: one serving predominately African American students in a large northeastern city and one serving Latino students in a southwestern urban area.…

This handbook presents various approaches to a strategic planning model, using the Matrix as a planning tool. The Matrix is an instrument for focusing, summarizing, and addressing achievement issues. Part 1, "Windows on Planning," discusses planning and minority students, avoiding pitfalls, distinguishing planning processes, planning for…

An estimated 5.2 to 7.8 million children with significant chronic health problems attend school every day in the United States requiring interventions in the school setting. A majority of these students will be from ethnic minority or low-income groups within two decades. Providing culturally competent interventions in schools is critical to…

To improve basic skills in a New Jersey school district, Outcome-Based Education was introduced. Six years later, students' basic skills scores have risen above the national norms. (MD)

Within the last several years, researchers working with linguistic minority children have focused increasingly on the development of the types of language proficiencies that are required to perform successfully in academic contexts. Most practitioners and researchers agree that, in order to succeed in schools, such learners must be given the…

Describes the economic and educational achievements of Asian American immigrants to the United States. Criticizes current theories of the causes of Asian American achievement, and posits that family structure, along with middleman and niche theories of migration, may explain their success. (SKC)

Describes field trips and related activities in which nearby institutions, local celebrities, and distinctive aspects of community life are employed to enrich the Schools Reaching Out project at the David A. Ellis School in Roxbury (MA). (DM)

The underrepresentation in gifted programs of students who are members of minority or other groups warrants increased attention from educators. With the continuing quest for both equity and excellence in public education, there is a renewed interest in ensuring the participation of minority students in gifted programs and in bridging the gap…

The results of four recent studies that contain different estimates of the number of language minority and/or limited English proficient children in the United States are compared. Such estimates of the number of children in need of bilingual or special educational language services are important since they are used to determine services and their…

Discusses the national trend toward full-day kindergarten scheduling and a 2-year experiment involving alternate-day and half-day programs in Pasco, Washington. Early findings show no significant differences in children's achievement, classroom study habits, or social skills. Poor and minority children benefit from increased conversational…

Summarizes 15 years of National Assessment of Educational Progress data on reading and writing in elementary schools. While reading performance has improved over the 1971-1984 period for black and Hispanic 9- and 13-year-olds and for younger disadvantaged children, writing results are less encouraging. Effective writing instruction may require…

This digest describes ways in which professionals who work with culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities can create an educational climate that accepts and respects the language and culture of its students and empowers them to feel confident enough to risk getting involved in the learning process. Methods of creating such…

Introduces a journal issue that is intended to regenerate research on minorities in elementary schools and focus on important questions that have been underexplored. Discusses declines in research on minorities, and the problems and possible directions of new research.(SKC)