Results of studies of the effects of early childhood compensatory education programs indicate long-term benefits but not long-term cognitive gains. These findings may be explained by an interaction of the programs being studied at any early point in social change (rising tide) with a hypothesized intervening variable (cognitive effects). (DB)

Evaluates the impact of two health services projects for high-risk mothers and infants in two counties of northwest Mississippi which had shown high infant mortality and morbidity. Reports that one of the ICHP projects did improve prenatal care, but neither program significantly influenced pregnancy outcomes (as measured by low birth weights). (KH)

Results of 2-year study for over 300 inner-city families indicate clients' preference for a personal relationship with a single worker requires that workers understand and make full use of potential contributions of other disciplines. (AG)

The attainment of curricular goals, rather than improved IQ scores, was the basis for evaluation of the effectiveness of a program for disadvantaged preschoolers. Featured is the development of an Inventory of Cognitive Skills and Visual-Motor Functioning to evaluate the child's level of functioning in curriculum-related areas. (KW)

The following major variables in preschool intervention programs for disadvantaged children, and the effects of these variables on intellectual development of the children involved, are examined: curriculum models, home intervention, age for intervention, and length of intervention program. (KW)

In a study of 19 cities with Community Development Block Grants, it was found that two-thirds of the cities with exemplary economic development efforts lacked effective targeting strategies. In general, local governments lack an economic framework that allows low income and minority groups to derive major benefits. (Author/RLV)

HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) is a creative program (combining the use of computers, drama, Socratic dialog, and a detailed curriculum) to build thinking skills of educationally disadvantaged students in grades four through seven. HOTS learning activities help students realize what thinking and persevering can accomplish. Principals can help…

In 1981 the Australian government introduced a system of wage subsidies designed to induce employers to increase job offers to persons with disabilities. This article reports on the effectiveness of the wage subsidy policy and examines some supply characteristics for labor market success by the disabled. (Author/JOW)

Lists candidates for National Head Start Association (NHSA) elected positions and announces four new awards sponsored by the NHSA. Recognizes the Missouri State Highway Patrol for its work with Head Start children. Presents a draft report on the NHSA Quality Initiative, a system designed to promote quality in Head Start and to provide challenges…

Argues that home visiting and related services have been shaped and constrained by the tendency to use services as a substitute for adequate income and economic opportunity, by ambivalent attitudes toward poor people, and by a preoccupation with the effects of poverty on child rearing. Proposes basic principles of practice that should guide early…

Support for WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is based on the belief that "WIC works." This consensus has lately been questioned by researchers who point out that most WIC research fails to properly control for selection into the program. This paper evaluates the selection problem using rich data…

Token economies often reduce problematic classroom behavior in preschool settings. In the present study, direct observation and teacher ratings of child behavior and treatment acceptability were utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of a token economy in a Head Start classroom. Because many teachers express concerns about the effort required to…

This article reviews the policies for disadvantaged children in western countries since the mid-sixties. First, it analyses the design and results of the "classic programmes" of positive discrimination such as the American Title I programme, and the English, Dutch, Flemish and French priority areas policies. It discusses the differences…