Each year, thousands of young people drop out of school, begin a life of unemployment, poverty, low self-esteem, violence, and even imprisonment. This article explains the sad effects of early school exits and the critical need for school-community collaboration to prevent dropouts. School leaders must be culturally sensitive and create school…

Tennessee's one-room, drop-in school (ORDIS) concept provides educational opportunities in housing projects with high concentrations of poverty and illiteracy. In cooperation with residents' associations, ORDIS offers services for preschoolers to the elderly, including adult basic education, English as a Second Language, literacy tutoring, and…

As families and institutions change, many U.S. children could fail to realize their potential to lead fulfilling adult lives. Confronted by poverty, the crack cocaine epidemic, and increased exposure to violence, children make daily choices altering their life's course. Schools are increasingly expected to resolve social problems without…

The 1990 Rural Sociological Society's Task Force on Persistent Rural Poverty describes rural poverty, comparing it to urban poverty; rejects human-capital, economic-organization, and culture-of-poverty theories of rural poverty and proposes research on 10 other theories; and discusses rural policy and its inequitable emphasis on farmers. (KS)

Interviews with 10 pairs of Latino siblings attending college show that brothers and sisters learned about money similarly: through scarcity of money in the family, from discussions and disagreements about money between their parents, and through active instruction by parents about saving money. Compares results with earlier studies using White…

Describes a study that provides an overview of the status of Chinese female education. Argues that despite many positive changes in Chinese society, females still experience severe gender discrimination as a result of culture, local and large-scale economics, irregular geographical location, and lack of role models. Contains six data tables and 19…

Describes the Family Focus for School Success Project, a model program that provides education and support to language minority families in poverty and their children through comprehensive early intervention for children at risk of academic failure because of their home environments. An evaluation of the first year's efforts with 69 families…

This qualitative study examines beliefs and values of leaders in two "turnaround" high schools in high-poverty rural areas, one serving Mexican-American students in Texas, the other serving African-American students in Alabama. Four common beliefs emerged, emphasizing the value of: challenging the myth; demonstrating courage; creating a…

Examines the stresses and strengths that define daily negotiated life experiences for women who are poor or working-class and African-American in urban America. Interviews with individuals in these communities show that these women see themselves as constantly negotiating borders of home/family/life and, at the same time, constantly carry…

Illustrates that China has been undergoing an unprecedented rapidity of change. Discusses the high unemployment rates, job markets, reform movements, differences in economic equality, the role of the National People's Congress, and the changing political climate. Reveals that freedom is subtly beginning to permeate the lives of Chinese citizens.…

A study of seven high- and low-achieving elementary schools in West Virginia surveyed 1,389 parents, students, principals, teachers, and staff. Among two matched pairs of rural schools, high-achieving schools shared characteristics very different from those of low-achieving schools with equivalent poverty rates. Overall, school programs and…

Argues that the population of children with behavior disorders has changed dramatically for the worse over the past 25 years due to societal transformation. Society's reliance on punishing sanctions rather than preventing risk conditions or rehabilitation is discussed and strategies are suggested for proactive approaches in addressing social…

Since 1899, Frontier College in Toronto (Canada) has promoted lifelong learning by bringing literacy courses to Canadians who are poor, undereducated, or isolated in other ways. More than 2,000 university students from 40 campuses and many community volunteers help the disabled, street-youth, Native people, migrant farm workers, ex-offenders, and…

The pattern of federal funding allocated through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was examined for all New York State public schools. The program is widely distributed, with a majority of all schools receiving Title I funding. Some poor schools, especially in urban areas, may be unable to qualify because of this spreading out…

Describes the various programs and goals of St. Monica School, Kansas City, Missouri, and provides individual accounts of student success despite great adversity. Discusses different ways of combating the violence and poverty of urban areas to provide emotional, spiritual, and educational support and guidance. (YKH)