The human brain develops rapidly in the first five years of life. High-quality early learning experiences can have a profound and lasting positive effect on young children during these years, setting the stage for success in kindergarten and beyond. This is especially true for young children with high needs who are from low-income families; who…

Bachelor's degree attainment has become essential for U.S. labor market participation. However, degree attainment is differentially accessible across racial and economic lines. One explanation of degree disparities is that urban students often lack the social and cultural capital needed to succeed in higher education institutions. This article…

The purpose of the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) program is to improve the quality of early learning and development and close the achievement gap for children with high needs. The RTT-ELC grant competition focuses on improving early learning and development for young children by supporting States' efforts to increase the…

This article discusses how school districts in California collaborate with higher education to boost college readiness and access. In Long Beach, educators from all three major institutions of learning--elementary, middle and high schools, the local university and the community college--worked together to align standards and expectations across…

This article describes efforts of the Greater Houston P-16+ Council (GHPC) to find effective ways to promote student participation and success across the P-16 continuum, from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education and work related training.

In recent years the World Bank, currently the largest single funding source for education and health programs in the world, has put new emphasis on reaching children in the years before they enter school. Despite the acknowledged benefits to be gained from investing in education, schooling in Latin America has failed to keep pace with the…

P-20 collaboration between the P-12 and higher education sectors has been increasing in recent years as a strategy to promote college access, particularly among underrepresented students. This article provides an overview of the current state of P-20 scholarship and practice in the field, offers an approach to conceptualizing the study and…

To consider how interdisciplinary P-20 partnerships increase college going among Chicano/Latino youth, the authors highlight evidence from the Educational Partnership Center (EPC), University of California, Santa Cruz, a P-20 partnership building academic achievement and college and career pathways. Three elements advance EPC effectiveness:…

In 1990, the World Conference on Education for All renewed the world's commitment to ensuring the rights of all people to education and knowledge. This theme issue of the "Coordinator's Notebook" introduces the Education for All initiative and surveys what has been done (and needs to be done) to address the education needs of young…

To help fulfill the goal of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), high-quality postsecondary education opportunities must be available to all students. In keeping with this goal, the Federal TRIO programs and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program provide outreach and support to help low-income and first-generation college students, as…

It is a difficult time for policymakers, business leaders, and education leaders to think about ways to increase the numbers of students graduating from high school prepared for college and the work force when their focus is on reducing budgets. But now is the best time to plan for the future. Now is the time to explore programs that may bear…

A rebuttal to an article by Pearl Lucas is presented. Cornell University's Committee on Special Educational Projects program, established to support the admission and adjustment of black students, is described. College and university special education programs are seen to contribute to academic achievement and promotion of scholarship. (MLW)

Remedial instruction in higher education heightens the tension between access and quality and raises questions about how to prepare underprepared students without watering down the degree, who should provide remedial programs, and who should pay for them. States have adopted a variety of solutions, and the most serious are costly. (MSE)

Issues in community college basic skills instruction are reviewed and two model programs are outlined in this paper. First, concerns about student illiteracy, lack of academic preparation, and failure to complete courses are discussed, and public demands for educational accountability are examined. Next, the relationship between the "open…

This paper presents the annual report of the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) for 2005. Throughout the year, PYN's members continued their focus on linking work and education in ways that promote access for young people to Philadelphia's growth economy, and supply a high-quality workforce to power the City's continued economic development. [For…