This volume presents the main findings of a comparative study of four poor urban communities in countries experiencing economic difficulties during the late 1980s: Chawama (Zambia), Cisne Dos (Ecuador), Commonwealth (the Philippines), and Angyalfold (Hungary). The study extended a longitudinal community panel study begun in Ecuador by using a…

As the case management approach has become increasingly popular, a new phenomenon has emerged. A client may have several case managers, each employed by a different project, and these managers may not be aware of each other. The National Center for Children in Poverty has recently conducted research on case management in service integration…

The National Center for Children in Poverty recently conducted research on case management in service integration projects. The core of the study's information comes from 16 projects around the country, all serving children living in poverty. This brief discusses the characteristics of case managers, including their demographic attributes, tenure,…

Effective-schools researchers have identified factors that are correlated with improved school achievement. School districts and state departments of education have applied this research to school improvement frameworks. This paper describes how Effective Schools Research was employed to develop a questionnaire to assess school staff perceptions…

This analysis, part of a series on child poverty in America, contains an overview of child poverty trends over the period from 1959 to 1992 and projections of child poverty rates and levels by area of residence to the year 2010. Analyses, based on data from the Census Bureau, show a marked increase in the overall rate of child poverty since the…

This report presents a statistical portrait of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of Blacks based primarily on the March 1993 and 1994 Supplements to the Current Population Survey. Topics covered include population growth and geographic distribution, marital status, family type and composition, educational attainment, employment…

In his well-known article "The Coming White Underclass" and other writings Charles Murray has suggested that welfare is the primary cause of out-of-wedlock childbearing. He contends that welfare, including Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and subsidized housing, should be eliminated. While Murray's views have…

As part of an effort to correct major social problems, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) was created in the State of Washington. The ECEAP offers comprehensive, quality preschool programs for children of families who have an income at or below the federal poverty level. An introductory section of the report provides…

Written by and about the homeless, the Chicago newspaper "StreetWise" has potential for use in creative writing classes. An urban community college instructor uses the newspaper to provide material from which her students, many of whom are at or below the poverty level, can derive ideas for writing and to raise her students' level of…

In 1992, 12 million families were maintained by women in the United States--a figure that more than doubled since 1970 when there were only 5.6 million such families. They accounted for 14.8 percent of all families in 1980 and 17.6 percent in 1992. Women maintained 3.5 million Black families in 1992; this represented nearly half of all Black…

This report takes an in-depth look at the evidence of family well-being since the 1996 federal welfare legislation drawing on new national survey data, a review of studies by states and research institutions, and a compilation of findings from informal community-based monitoring projects. Disturbing findings include: Only a small fraction of…

To examine how high-poverty schools in Florida can work to improve student performance, a study was made of the status of high-poverty schools and strategies that appear to be working. Data were from reviews of Florida Department of Education documents; visits to 27 schools; and surveys of principals, teachers, and parents. Schools serving a large…

Family social isolation, conflicting workplace demands, inadequate and unaffordable child care, and parent and child needs have strained family life and have led to calls for parent support programs in Scotland. This report describes Year 1 of the Positive Parenting Project, designed to support parents in combating the effects of poverty in four…

Many graduates who have the academic ability to continue their schooling beyond high school do not enroll in higher education. This phenomenon has been referred to as "talent loss." The challenges involved in financing higher education partially contribute to talent loss and its pervasiveness among poor students, but they fall short of…

Drawing information from federal statistical sources, this digest summarizes recent changes in rural demographic and economic conditions relevant to rural school systems. Since the early 1990s, the U.S. economy has been strong, and rural areas have been growing at the same rate or faster than the nation's economic pace. Benefiting from the steady…