The Center for Literacy (part of the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory) established the Regional and National Network of Research and Professional Organizations, which examines current trends in literacy research on a national level. The first meeting of the Research Network was held in 2001, and featured a panel of expert researchers…

This report examines, ward-by-ward, indicators of need for youth development services in the District of Columbia (DC), including high school dropout rates, unemployment, poverty, involvement with the criminal justice system, teen parenting, and youth mortality. It discusses capacity to provide various youth development services to address those…

This monograph is the first in a series of reports related to the Successful Secondary Schools Study in three Canadian provinces, a study that will contribute to high student achievement outcomes for students of low socioeconomic status. This document provides a synopsis of the literature and research dealing with successful and effective schools,…

The federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program provides incentives for high-poverty schools to pursue reform. In fiscal years 1998-99, $120 million, or 83 percent of total CSRD funds, was made available to states to target Title I schools serving disadvantaged students. Of the 1,748 schools participating in CSRD, over 85…

There is no excuse for the failure of most public schools to teach poor children. All children can learn, as the principals and schools profiled in this book have demonstrated. These schools and administrators have overcome the bureaucratic and cultural obstacles that keep low-income children behind in most public schools. The 21 high-performing,…

Data from the 1997 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) are analyzed to estimate the number and composition of children lacking health insurance prior to the implementation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The NSAF is a survey of children and adults under the age of 65 in more than 44,000 households, conducted as…

This report presents an overview of the revised preschool funding formula under the 1997 amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and perceptions of some state education agencies (SEA) staff on the initial impact of the funding changes. New features include a hold harmless base amount that is equal to the preschool grant…

The 1997 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) asked parents of 6- to 17-year-olds several questions in order to assess the degree of turbulence or stability in a child's life. Turbulence was associated with several types of change, including moves and multiple school changes. The NSAF is a survey of more than 44,000 families, representing…

This essay argues that the key assumptions driving standards-based school reform and accountability testing are inapplicable to urban schools, suggesting that tasks facing urban school leaders differ both in magnitude and kind from those found in other school districts. The current all-purpose reform solutions treat all schools as the same while…

This digest summarizes information suggesting that long bus rides are part of the hidden costs of school and district consolidation. Rural school districts spend more than twice per pupil what urban districts spend on transportation. A review of studies shows that rural school children were more likely than suburban school children to have bus…

This paper presents a talk by President George W. Bush in which he launches his quality teacher initiative. He explains that the educational reforms will ensure that all students, particularly impoverished students, will have high expectations and receive a high quality education. As the expectations of schools are raised, nearly $3 billion has…

To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in U.S. cities during 2001, data were collected from 27 cities on demands for emergency food assistance and shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet that demand; causes of hunger and homelessness and demographics of populations experiencing them; exemplary responses; availability of…

This paper reviews published articles related to the link between health insurance and academic performance. Although no studies directly examine whether enrollment in a health insurance program impacts school attendance and achievement, several studies have reached intermediate conclusions. Studies show that students who miss more than 10 days…

In an effort to share the good news about what can be done to increase learning and achievement for students in high poverty schools, the research has been combed to pinpoint instructional and organizational factors that lead to student success. Specifically examined were how and why some schools across the country are attaining greater than…

Noting that a key challenge for policymakers and others who are concerned about the well-being of children and families is how to develop and improve policies that reward work and help low-income working families increase their earnings, this research brief examines the current and potential impact of state earned income credits (EICs) as a means…