To assess the level of family stress that a child experiences, several questions from the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) were combined to create a family stress index. The NSAF is a survey of more than 44,000 households representative of the United States as a whole and of 13 states, conducted as part of the Assessing the New…

Immigrant status carries considerable challenges to survival and mobility in U.S. society. As an emerging dimension of social stratification, legal status influences not only immigrants but also their children. Using data collected in Houston and San Diego, this study examines the intergenerational health consequences of undocumented status for…

This analysis identified school districts in Michigan that, using a definition most parents would find quite reasonable, have failed to meet their fundamental mission. Using data reported by the school districts themselves and the state Department of Education, the report details the number of such districts, the number of students in those…

A 1996 research project in St. Paul, Minnesota, found high rates of poverty and unemployment in its American Indian population and a lack of connection between social service agencies and the Indian community. A follow-up project aimed to support the Indian community in identifying its own priorities for research and action. Eight focus groups…

This report investigates the issue of white flight into private schools by examining data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS) and a dataset from the National Center for Educational Statistics. The NELS provides information on student and parental characteristics such as geographical location, religious affiliation, school…

In 1983 the National Commission on Excellence in Education declared the United States "A Nation at Risk" because of inadequate education. A decade and a half later, the United States is still at risk because U.S. schools are failing children. Dropout rates have declined, and college attendance has risen, but student achievement has…

H.R. 4678, the Child Support Distribution Act of 2000, was scheduled for debate and a vote in the House of Representatives in September 2000. This bill would help poor children escape poverty, strengthen families, and build on and enhance welfare reform. The support changes in this bill would allow more of the child support collected from…

This report illustrates how poverty rates in the United States vary by selected characteristics: age, race and Hispanic origin, nativity, family composition, work experience, and geography. The estimates in the report are based on interviews with population samples. The Current Population Survey each March interviews approximately 50,000…

Achievement data from the 2002-2003 school year for public schools with poverty rates of 40% or greater in the state of Indiana are presented as required for State formula grant programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Tables present the number of schools…

The difficulty of translating research into practice in education is one of the most important problems in education reform. The problem is not so much that educators are resistant to change; on the contrary, certain kinds of innovation can be widely adopted, and educators are sure to cite research to support whatever innovation they advocate. Yet…

This issue of California Counts explores educational resources and outcomes across racial and ethnic groups in the state. Family and school resources, student outcomes, and public policy initiatives affecting California's students from early childhood through university are examined. Several factors that potentially contribute to racial and ethnic…

Describes the development of a program designed for preparing skilled and informed workers for construction jobs in the mountainous areas of northwestern North Carolina. (Author/RK)

Analyzes activism among students at the California State Colleges during the 60's in terms of three threads which ran through the various causes: (1) the rights of students as citizens; (2) the need for course relevance; (3) development of a multicultural environment on campus placing the individual first and the institution as merely…

Reviews the major enactments of federal income transfer programs, Federal payments programs presently in force, Federal manpower training programs, and recent developments in Congress. Presents a pro and con discussion by several Senators and Representatives on the Adminsistration's current plan to terminate the Federal anti-poverty agency.…

Discusses the role legal services play in public health care delivery in disadvantaged communities in relation to such socio-medical problems as lead poisoning, child abuse, involuntary mental commitment, and housing code violations. Recommends a legal advocacy program to ensure adequate public health care. (Author/SF)