Changes in federal policy affecting rural development in economically distressed areas in 2001 include new markets initiatives, establishment of the (Mississippi River) Delta Regional Authority, and increased infrastructure funding. Infrastructure priorities include highway construction, airport improvements, public works grants, rural…

Describes a parent leadership training program designed by one metropolitan university to assist urban African American parents in rediscovering the leadership skills required to help their children in school. Quantitative and qualitative data indicated that parents were satisfied with the training, which benefitted them at the personal, family,…

This article is based on Rotary literacy projects aimed at doing something substantial about the billion people in developing countries who are locked into an endless cycle of poverty, because they are illiterate. Two projects are highlighted--one in Turkey and one in Egypt--for illustration.(Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education)…

Examined differences between the visibility of drugs and drug use in over 2000 neighborhoods, surveying residents regarding drug- and alcohol-related behaviors and attitudes and comparing the responses of poor, urban, African Americans versus people from comparison neighborhoods. The most disadvantaged neighborhoods had the most visible drug…

Investigated how homeless Brazilian youth experience the street and examined factors linked to positive and negative feelings about the street. Found great diversity in youths' views of the street. Findings support the value of the sentence completion task in exploring the subjective experiences of street youth. (Author)

Summarizes findings and data about income level and equality of educational opportunities, conditions of Alabama school facilities, and factors affecting a student's level of academic orientation in high school. (PKP)

At some schools, teachers deal with the reality that the majority of their students live in poverty; at others, where only pockets of poverty exist, teachers may become complacent in their "middle-classness." At many rural and suburban schools, the minority of low-income students can be rendered invisible to teachers. Unfortunately,…

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) is a commitment of the United States to raise its grant aid by a factor of 50% over the next 3 years and will result in a $5 billion annual increase over current foreign aid levels. Many other countries and multinational development assistance agencies will be asked to help co-finance this new account, and…

This study examined relationships between variation in child and adolescent firearm mortality by state and the following variables: childhood poverty rate, percent single parent families, percent population that is African American, percent population that is Hispanic. percent students carrying a gun, percent students carrying a weapon, percent…

Using data from a national sample of 388 Latino young adolescents, this study identified the social-demographic characteristics, influences in the broader social environment, and parenting practices that predict youth academic achievement. Youths who were Mexican American, older, and had an English language problem had lower levels of reading and…

Many tout the "no excuses" mantra, from the Education Trust to President Bush, and the Heritage Foundation even titled its report on a group of higher-achieving, high-poverty schools No Excuses. As an antidote to decades of low expectations and substandard teaching for children from poor, often dysfunctional families and neighborhoods, the "no…

This article argues that skills development in South Africa must be aligned to the economic and political imperatives of reducing unemployment and poverty, while fostering growth and international competitiveness. The legacy of a resource-based economy, overlaid by apartheid policies, has resulted in widespread poverty, inequality and unemployment…

This paper outlines what is involved in Sure Start, one of New Labour's key social policy interventions. It is argued that there are policy continuities with older redemptive policies which focus on young children. It is also argued that Sure Start could provide a bridgehead for a more socially democratic orientation into early childhood policy.

Sixteen percent of children 6-11 years of age were classified as overweight in 1999-2002, four times the percentage in 1965. Although poverty has traditionally been associated with underweight as a result of poor diet, researchers have recently pointed to a paradox in the U.S., which is that low income and obesity can coexist in the same…

Using data from an experimental evaluation of the New Hope project, an anti-poverty program that increased employment and income, this study examined the effects of New Hope on entry into marriage among never-married mothers. Among never-married mothers, New Hope significantly increased rates of marriage. Five years after random assignment, 21…