In 2000, the Public Policy of Institute of California entered into an agreement with the San Diego Unified School District to provide the research and financial support to collect, format, and analyze student, teacher, and classroom data needed to create an accurate portrait of what affects student achievement in San Diego. This report is the…

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes questions to assess serious psychological distress (SPD) and substance use. SPD is an overall indicator of nonspecific psychological distress. This report examines serious psychological distress and substance use among young adult males aged 18 to 25, a relatively understudied group with…

In recent years, a concern surrounding technology access to historically marginalized populations, referred to as the "Digital Divide" (Divide), has surfaced. This analysis examines the Digital Divide from a socioeconomic standpoint, and discusses the effects of the Divide on students. Also addressed are the varying perspectives towards the…

Background: Adult literacy rates are an important indicator for describing the status of education and development within a country. The Lao national literacy survey was undertaken in 2001 to provide a reliable source of literacy data which in turn will determine if the country will reach Education For All (EFA) goals agreed upon at the World…

The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) is a national study of the characteristics, experiences and achievements of students with disabilities in elementary and middle school. This report presents results of data (mainly surveys of and interviews with parents) on more than 12,000 students with disabilities, ages 6-12, selected…

This paper presents data from a 2002 survey of Hispanic American adults. Overall, the Hispanic population held an array of attitudes, values, and beliefs that were distinct from those of non-Hispanic whites and blacks. However, there was no single, homogeneous Latino opinion. A diversity of views existed among Latinos, with differences between…

This digest assesses the human rights situation of poor and marginalized children in urban areas around the world, considering the range of problems that these children and their families face, drawing attention to the need for actions based on a knowledge of urban areas and potential urban advantages, and examining the capacity of competent,…

This report describes the foreign-born population of the United States in 2002, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Overall, more than one-third of the foreign-born population is from Mexico or another Central American country. The foreign-born are more likely to live in the west, while natives are more likely to…

Equity and computer use for secondary mathematics learning was the focus of a three year study. In 2003, a survey was administered to a large sample of grade 7-10 students. Some of the survey items were aimed at determining home access to and ownership of computers, and students' attitudes to mathematics, computers, and computer use for…

Previous research has demonstrated that attending center care is associated with cognitive benefits for young children. However, little is known about the ideal age for children to enter such care or the "right" amount of time, both weekly and yearly, for children to attend center programs. Using national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal…

This study examined findings from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families about primary child care arrangements for children under age 13 years while the adults most responsible for them are employed. It compared arrangements made by lower- versus higher-income parents and single- versus two-parent families and examines differences across…

This study was a replication of the method used by R. Bickel and C. Howley (2000), applying the approach to Washington state academic performance of fourth and seventh graders. While Bickel and Howley focused on the 8th grade Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the 11th grade Georgia High School Graduate Test, this study examined performance on the…

As part of the University of California's recent reconsideration of the role of the SAT in admissions, the UC Office of the President published an extensive report, "UC and the SAT" (2001), which examined the value of SAT I Reasoning Test scores, SAT II Subject Test scores, and high school grades in predicting the grade-point averages of…

This report provides a Latino-focused assessment of the changing demographic and economic landscape of the Midwest between 1980 and 1990. Over 56 percent of the region's population increase was accounted for by Latinos, of which persons of Mexican origin were the largest proportion. The White population decreased by over 300,000 persons, with the…

Sociological theory and method have been used to develop a theory of complex instruction (CI). CI enables teachers to teach at a high intellectual level while reaching a wide range of students. Teachers work to create equal-status interaction within small groups as students use each other as resources to complete challenging group tasks. The…