To help educators quickly grasp demographic information and social and economic issues facing migrant farmworkers, this digest summarizes several recent federal reports. These reports are the National Agricultural Workers Survey, conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in 1997-98; Current Population Survey data, from the Census Bureau; and the…

Noting that growing evidence indicates that high-quality preschool child development programs contribute to the short and long-term development of children living in poverty, this digest summarizes recently reported experimental and quasi-experimental studies of Head Start and similar programs. Recently reported experimental studies include those…

Noting that growing evidence indicates that high-quality preschool child development programs contribute to the short- and long-term development of children living in poverty, this Digest summarizes recently reported experimental and quasi-experimental studies of Head Start and similar programs. Recently reported experimental studies include those…

Good health directly affects the educational performance of migrant children. However, there is little nationwide, accurate information on the health status of migrant farmworkers, and even less on their children. This digest summarizes recent information on migrant children's health status. Compared to all U.S. children, migrant children have a…

This ERIC digest describes the lives of migrant families, migrant students' education, and migrant parents' involvement in their children's education. Migrant families tend to travel along well-established geographic routes which can be identified as the East Coast Stream, the Mid-Continent Stream, and the Western Stream. In 1986, the average…

In 1983 the National Commission on Excellence in Education declared the United States "A Nation at Risk" because of inadequate education. A decade and a half later, the United States is still at risk because U.S. schools are failing children. Dropout rates have declined, and college attendance has risen, but student achievement has…

Researchers have long investigated whether smaller classes improve student achievement. Their conclusions suggest that class size reduction (CSR) can result in greater in-depth coverage of subject matter by teachers, enhanced learning and stronger engagement by students, more personalized teacher-student relationships, and safer schools with fewer…

This digest uses recent statistics, including Census 2000 data, to synthesize information on Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) children and families. The APIA population is diverse, and APIA groups vary widely in language, religion, beliefs, and health practices. The percentage of foreign born differs widely among APIA groups. The U.S.…

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 ERIC digest summarizes recent studies on poverty in rural areas. In 1986, the poverty rate in rural areas was 50 percent higher than the urban rate. During the 1980s, rural poverty stayed higher, rising more rapidly during recession, and falling more slowly in the "recovery" period. Characteristics that distinguish the rural poor…

This digest, which is based on findings from a large variety of studies, reviews the known effects of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 on children to date and discusses the Act's possible future effects. Federal statistics show a positive trend in poverty reduction, though other sources are not optimistic…

This digest examines the problem of upgrading rural school facilities, focusing on specific rural issues, conditions that interfere with teaching and learning, and new funding approaches. Almost half of U.S. public schools are in rural areas and small towns. Close rural school-community relationships may make it easier to make decisions,…

Recent national reports reinforce the growing perception that small schools are good schools. This may seem a revolution or the latest fad in schooling; however, issues of size cannot be captured in universal guidelines. This digest discusses the history of school size dilemmas to demonstrate why this is so. The earliest research literature on…

This digest reviews research on the link between children's nutrition and their ability to learn from the prenatal through school years. It also discusses the importance of nutrition education for children. The need for adequate nutrition during pregnancy and the preschool years is highlighted by research that indicates that low birthweight…

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…