The strong association established between attention skills and school performance has led to increased research in understanding the development of children's attentional processes. How attention develops during early childhood is crucial to understanding partly why children enter school with varying readiness skills. This Snapshot highlights the…

Each semester, the College of the Canyons (California) surveys all students enrolled in occupational courses. This information has three primary purposes: (1) the survey results are used in determining funding through the Vocational and Technical Education Act (VTEA); (2) beginning in fall 2000, the College expanded the survey to include students'…

Here, author William A. Sampson examines the role of the family in the school preparation process among poor Blacks and Latinos. It is based upon the data collected during intense long-term observations of 21 disadvantaged minority students and families in their homes within the same community. The data suggests that the differences in…

This monograph examines the special educational needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children and youth who are also diagnosed as having behavior disorders (BD). Following an introductory chapter, chapters 2 and 3 address the specific populations of Asian Americans (usually underrepresented in the BD population) and African…

This report describes the British Columbia Human Rights Commission's activities during 2000-01. The Commission held public hearings to learn about barriers that prevent Aboriginal students from full participation in the British Columbia education system, and published a report on the findings with recommendations for improving educational…

This report presents preliminary recommendations for indicators and predictors of dependence on income from means-tested assistance programs, such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Food Stamps, and Supplemental Security Income. It includes an assessment of the ability of existing data collection efforts to provide the data needed to…

This paper reviews how the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) will operate regarding different groups of students and schools, examining factors that could delay or dilute its guarantee of educational accountability for the academic achievement of all children. It discusses such issues as: what kinds of tests must be used and when, who must…

More than 70 percent of San Antonio (Texas) urban school children are Hispanic, and approximately 85 percent are from minority ethnic groups. This paper is the second in a series of reports from a 3-year study of private and public school-choice programs in San Antonio. The paper discusses the characteristics of private and public schools as…

This book provides basic data on educational attainment, achievement, and practices for each state and the United States as a whole, with a focus on the academic-achievement gap between minority and white students. The first part provides an overview of the national picture of education, describing academic achievement, expenditures and…

Based on the view that the single most important goal of Head Start reauthorization legislation should be to improve Head Start and other preschool programs to better ensure that participating children are prepared to succeed in school, this paper describes the limited educational progress for children in Head Start and problems resulting from a…

A series of reviews of the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) Job Access and Reverse Commute (Job Access) Program explored DOT's and grantees' challenges in implementing the Job Access program and the status of DOT's program evaluation efforts. DOT and grantees faced significant challenges in implementing the Job Access program. DOT's process…

This guide is designed to provide practical information for community leaders, local Workforce Investment Boards, Youth Councils, staff, and others committed to effective youth and workforce development. Its four sections provide technical assistance and training materials for Youth Councils. Chapter 1, "Planning the Menu," defines youth…

This report takes stock of the present Title I program, identifies the most promising approaches to educating the nation's disadvantaged children, and offers guidance to policymakers seeking to improve Title I's effectiveness. The report draws upon hundreds of studies, evaluations, and other documents, and details the evolution of the Title I…

In 1998, the Illinois statewide coalition Work, Welfare and Families, in partnership with the Chicago Urban League, undertook a study to assess the effects of welfare reform on low-income families and children across Illinois. The findings were derived from three sources: a self-administered survey of 2,166 low-income clients of Illinois social…

Previous studies found that the small size of schools or school districts mitigated the negative influence of poverty on academic achievement in California, Alaska, and West Virginia. The Matthew Project extends this research in four additional states selected to provide varied settings. Montana has a remarkable number of small schools and small…