Technical and vocational education helps to empower marginalized sections of society by increasing their employability. However, access to skills training provided by formal technical and vocational institutions is often limited for these sections of society. Women from poor communities are especially disadvantaged in this regard due to community…

This report examines estimates of school infrastructure needs and discusses the federal role in financing early childhood facilities, elementary and secondary (K-12) public school infrastructure, and postsecondary educational facilities. Federal programs that provide support for school construction and renovation are organized in this report…

Writing is an essential skill for participating in modern American society. Although it is crucial to careers and civic engagement, student writing falls far short of national expectations (College Board, 2004; NCES, 2012; Persky, Daane, & Jin, 2003). The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) seek to increase the rigor of writing instruction…

Disparities in college access for underrepresented urban students are one of the most urgent educational problems of America's education system. In response to growing national concern, this longitudinal study investigated how school leaders worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to implement research-supported student services in order to…

A Massachusetts school board member's travels with Global Volunteers have provided an opportunity to see how people of different cultures live and work. Global Volunteers is a nonprofit organization that sends small groups of volunteers to developing countries or to underprivileged areas in Mississippi and Texas to help local people with work…

Federal law emphasizes the need for states and districts to ensure that "all" students--particularly at-risk students, minority students, and students in high-poverty areas--have access to highly qualified, experienced teachers. But is it sufficient for a teacher to have "paper" qualifications and teaching experience? After all, appropriate…

As governors confront the worst state fiscal environment in the past 25 years, long-term prospects for strong economic growth are hampered by an immense underlying problem: the high school dropout crisis. At least one student in five drops out of school, and nearly 5 million 18- to 24-year-olds lack a high school diploma. Annually, dropouts cost…

In 1982 the Netherlands National Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO), with the support of Parliament, devised the framework for the Development Education Project (EPOS). This project concerns a national development education network, which is to be supported for a new period, 1986 to 1991. EPOS is comprised of national organizations,…

Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act provides local school districts with federal funds to meet the special needs of educationally deprived children in high poverty areas. Because federal regulations provide little guidance for allocating Chapter 1 resources within the districts, distribution formulas vary and so do the…

Defines substandard housing and summarizes newly derived data from the 1980 Census showing that 7.5% of all rural occupied housing in the Nation was substandard. Points out regional and rural-urban differences. Notes effects on rural housing of poverty rates, percentage of nonwhite households, average household size, growth in county population,…

The four papers in this volume discuss various facets of the poverty-demography interaction: the rationale for the desired family size of the poor, the problems of attaining such size, the effect of family size/structure on household economy, and the future well-being of the children of the poor. "Mass Poverty, Demography, and Development…

A structural approach which focuses on social and economic conditions under which poverty exists and which de-personalizes causes is used to study the extent and trends of poverty in general and Maine in particular. The 1980 Census reported that 13% of Maine's population was poor, but since income in Maine is generally low many people fall in and…

Provides a demographic and fiscal profile of New Jersey's schools and analyzes equity implications of minimum teacher salary legislation for poor school districts. Direct salary impacts should not destabilize local finances or create undue fiscal distress. Other states considering similar legislation should first examine their economic…

Computerized analysis of 1980 Census data documented educational deficiencies in 85 Central Appalachian counties of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Dropout rates among youth ages 16-19 were found to be higher in Central Appalachian counties than in non-Central Appalachian counties, the poorest counties had the highest dropout…

Prospects for financing educational reform in West Virginia are grim. Added to the state's high unemployment rate are the following problems: declining sales, income, and property tax revenues and erosion of federal support due to Gramm-Rudman-Hollings. Residents have set other priorities for public funding. Includes five references. (MLH)