This document aims to assist understanding of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and to insure the implementation of a school discount methodology that is rational, equitable, and methodologically defensible. Based on a merged database containing data from 8,814 schools, 5,670,452 students, and 18 telecommunication companies in 7 states, this…

The Rural Policy Research Institute's Rural Telecommunications Task Force assessed the rural impacts and unintended or adverse rural consequences of the Federal-State Joint Board's recommendations to the FCC regarding Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Ten critical rural components of the Joint Board recommendations are listed: (1)…

This guide is second in a series that provides basic information about programs affecting Ohio's children; it provides a summary of key data on child care in Ohio, especially with regard to recent welfare reform. Recommendations for improvement in child care services are given in the following areas: (1) "Children Learning," including…

Children and childhood are almost completely ignored in most history books, encyclopedias, anthologies, and almanacs, which concentrate on the achievement of the adult half of the world's population. This book is intended to fill the gap by focusing on childhood, and presents an array of facts, anecdotes, profiles, and observations about children…

This analysis of economic conditions in the United States challenges the view, emphasized during the 1994 Congressional elections, that restraining government social spending and reforming welfare should be the country's top domestic policy priority. It is argued instead that the major domestic priority should be to address an economic environment…

This paper examines the current status of programs for preschool children in Chile. Section 1 of the paper provides an overview of the situation of preschool children in Chile. The country's population includes more than 1.6 million children between the ages of 0 and 5 years 11 months, and in urban areas, 18.4 percent of children between the ages…

It is racism that has undermined the War on Poverty declared by Lyndon Johnson, and the country must come to terms with its history of racism if there is to be any hope of accomplishing welfare reform today. American social policy has continually foundered on issues of race. The antipoverty efforts begun by the Johnson administration were never…

The paper asks what are appropriate policies for urban school reform in the context of global transformations affecting cities in both developed and "Third World" countries. Features of this transformation include growing population diversity, a semi-permanent underclass, and the informal economy. Comprehensive community development…

This overview presents a profile of the Hispanic American community in five key areas: demographics, education, poverty, health, and civil rights. The demographic overview considers population composition and location, population growth, language acquisition, family status, and employment. Educational status and trends, underrepresentation in…

Education systems in the United States are still reeling from the shock of the recent wave of poor immigrants from Central America. The necessary preparations have not been made to meet the basic needs of the newcomers, while they in turn face an even greater dilemma: survival in a society that blatantly ignores their dreams and aspirations for…

This volume presents 13 essays on urban problems in the United States, particularly in Los Angeles (California) following the 1992 riots, and policy options for the future. Part 1 addresses policies of the past three decades; Part 2 looks at children, youth, and families; Part 3 discusses crime and criminal justice; and Part 4 examines public…

The social and educational status of children from homeless families was studied in four cohorts of Cleveland (Ohio) public school students who requested transportation from homeless shelters for the school years from 1987-88 to 1990-91. Total cohort size ranged from the 1987-88 high of 39 students to the 1990-91 low of 22 students, with 36…

It is time to revise the Chapter 1 program to prepare disadvantaged children to meet the challenges of the National Education Goals. The Chapter 1 program must be aligned with larger reforms to develop higher standards for student performance and greater accountability. The gap in achievement between disadvantaged and other students means that…

This publication presents data and descriptive information on the status of poor children and families in Milwaukee (Wisconsin). The analysis of the information suggests that the children are poor because their families are poor and that only providing their families with adequate employment and family supports will lift these children out of the…

The activities and accomplishments of the Success for All program are described. Success for All is a school-based achievement-oriented program for disadvantaged students in prekindergarten through grade 5. The program is designed to prevent or intervene in the development of learning problems in the child's early years by effectively organizing…