Examined the relative contribution of maternal, household, child, and poverty characteristics to the quality of the home environment through an analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Improvements in family income had the strongest effect on the quality of home environment for children who had lived much of their lives in…

Analyzes data on financing U.S. higher education, especially the role governments, institutions, and families play in meeting college costs. Finds fewer affluent students attending private four-year colleges and an increasing concentration of lower income students at community colleges. Considers implications in light of the rising economic value…

Shifts in state funding, improved school facilities, and changes in other measurable resources do not lead directly to improved student achievement. Choice may be exacerbating existing disparities. School business officials can expect increased pressures to provide more parental choice opportunities and innovative funding solutions. (MLH)

Analyzes data concerning access to higher education. Finds that proficiency in basic skills such as reading and mathematics is a better predictor of college attendance and completion than is affordability. Results suggest that increasing access must involve better student preparation as well as financial aid. (DB)

Using data from a nationwide survey of college freshmen, this study demonstrates that student's level of technological preparedness varies by such key factors as race, class, gender, and academic background. Topics include use of electronic mail and the Internet; parental income; parental education; and type of high school attended. (Author/LRW)

This paper uses data from the 1996 and 2001 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to assess the impact of recent policy initiatives intended to increase access to Food Stamps. It finds that reductions in state certification requirements increased Food Stamp participation rates of income-eligible families with children by one to…

The moderating effect of neighborhood crime and income on associations between parenting and child outcomes was estimated longitudinally for African-American (n=50), European-American (n= 59), and Latino-American (n=52) elementary school-age children. On average, restrictive parenting values were negatively associated with academic performance and…

Chinese Americans' high levels of educational achievement have earned them attention as a "model minority" to be emulated by underachieving and underrepresented minority groups. However, the model minority analogy does not adequately explain how this achievement is realized, nor how such information can be used to help other groups close the…

Employing the 1988-1994 surveys from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, we find that non- Hispanic white students with self-employed parents in managerial occupations scholastically underperformed after the eighth grade compared to their counterparts from salaried households with respect to mathematics and reading progress,…

In accordance with McLoyd's model of African American children's development, we examined the linkages among family income, maternal psychological distress, marital conflict, parenting, and children's outcomes in early and middle childhood, using a sample of 591 African American children from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Income…

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of personal and structural characteristics in the development of educational and occupational preferences, and examine the formation of students' perceptions about the labour market and the factors influencing the formation of these perceptions. Design/methodology/approach - Data…

A number of economic and labor market trends in the United States over the past 30 years affect the well-being of workers and their families. This article describes key changes taking place and the implications for social and economic policies designed to help low-income working families and their children, particularly those families that include…

To provide an array of perspectives about policies needed to serve the growing number of children of immigrant families in the U.S., experts across various organizations and backgrounds were asked to respond to this question: "How should policymakers, advocates, stakeholders, and practitioners respond strategically and proactively to demographic…

One third of all children are born to unmarried mothers and over one half of children will spend some time in a single-parent family. In fact, single-father families are the fastest growing family form. Using data from the 1995 National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, the authors extend prior research that has investigated the effects of…

Much is written in the literature about failing schools. What makes for failing schools as compared to those labeled as being proficient or excellent? Teachers and administrators in schools need to work in the direction of all schools being worthy. Each pupil needs to have the best education possible. The future of a child depends, in part, in…