The overarching mission of the Child Trends organization is to improve the lives of children and families by providing research-based information to inform policies and programs affecting children's lives. This annual report details the organization's accomplishments for the year 2002. The report begins with a letter from the president and the…

This study investigated differences in patterns of governance policies, practices, and attitudes between higher and lower performing urban Ohio school districts. Public domain data included official district records, state documents, and newspaper articles. Case studies of four districts found that districts were similar on the DeRolph v. State of…

This brief presents new information on the variations in family structure or living arrangements of poor children, by age and race, and analyzes the implications for current policy decisions. Data from the 1999 NSAF indicate that about half of poor children have two highly involved parents. This is the norm for poor infants but is less likely to…

Political measures are being taken to "democratize" access to universities in Brazil. A new State university recently created after a wide consultation to the population, has taken two important measures: (i) it reserves fifty per cent of its places to poor students and ten per cent to physically handicapped ones and (ii) has abolished…

Students who live in rural areas will almost certainly leave those areas for occupations in larger city areas when they reach adulthood. Therefore, the child needs to receive the best education possible to prepare for an unknown future. This paper discusses some of the characteristics of rural schools, especially the plethora of children living in…

This digest uses recent statistics, including Census 2000 data, to synthesize information on Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) children and families. The APIA population is diverse, and APIA groups vary widely in language, religion, beliefs, and health practices. The percentage of foreign born differs widely among APIA groups. The U.S.…

The new Labour Government in Britain has made the reduction of child poverty one of its central objectives. This paper describes the specific initiatives involved in Labour's approach and weighs them in terms of their potential impact. After setting out the extent of the problem of child poverty, the causes are discussed, and Britain's problem is…

A study examined how Arkansas students' achievement is related to poverty, school and district size, and the interaction between these factors. Achievement test scores from grades 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 in all Arkansas schools were supplied by the Arkansas Department of Education. Poverty levels were determined by percentage of students receiving…

This study explored the feasibility of using the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) teacher assessment and certification process as part of a comprehensive strategy to improve professional culture and teaching quality in low-performing schools. Data from surveys of NBPTS California Support Network members were used to…

This paper reviews research on processes linking low incomes, deprived neighborhoods, and adverse outcomes for British children, identifying gaps and limitations in existing datasets and research strategies. Four domains are examined: education, health and psychological outcomes, crime and related behavior, and items linked to transitioning to…

In 1997, Arizona enacted a tuition tax credit law. Supporters consider this law a model for improving public education. Opponents believe it is a model for seriously undermining public education, particularly public schools serving poor children. The two types of tax credits Arizona offers are a private tuition tax credit and tax credit for public…

This report explores the literature on developing and sustaining high-performing schools. First, common characteristics of low-performing schools are described, such as the combination of community poverty, low expectations for student achievement, high teacher absenteeism, and high rates of teacher turnover. Schools that succeed despite poverty…

In Europe and Central Asia, the poor face three problems: (1) the education system as a whole does not work well, and hence fails to meet their needs; (2) the private cost of education has risen, so that "education," as a commodity, competes with other consumption goods in shrinking household budgets; and (3) the perceived benefits of…

This report documents results of Baltimore's Sandtown-Winchester Neighborhood Transformation (NT) Initiative, focusing on key decisions that helped shape the initiative. NT was one of the first attempts to systematically bring together diverse strands of thinking about comprehensive community change to overcome conditions that undermine…

This issue begins a five-part series that uses demographic projections as the starting point for examining some of the forces that will shape public education in the years ahead. It provides an overview of broad demographic trends, including the growing number of school-age youngsters, the increasing diversity of the student population, and the…