In 2004 the Monitoring the Future study marked its 30th year of conducting national surveys of substance use among American young people. Beginning with the first survey of high school seniors in 1975, the study has provided the nation with a window through which to view the important, but largely hidden, problem behaviors of illicit drug use,…

This volume--the second in a two-volume set from the Monitoring the Future study--provides findings on the substance use and related behaviors of several segments of the adult population. It also contains findings on attitudes and beliefs about drugs, as well as on several particularly salient dimensions of their social environments. Volume I…

This document is comprised of four reports related to the evaluation of the Kentucky Preschool Program (KPP), serving 4-year-olds who qualify for the free lunch program and 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities. Report 1 focuses on the differential effects of the preschool program related to race and to gender. Three key findings are reported: (1)…

The influence of Kids Voting USA, an interactive civics curriculum taught during election campaigns, is assessed in the context of three field experiments that took place during the fall of 2002. The research sites are Maricopa County, Arizona; El Paso County, Colorado; and Broward/Palm Beach counties, Florida. The authors present findings from…

This note draws on "The Empirical Curriculum," a study of college course-taking patterns published by the Department of Education. Courses are tracked for three cohorts: adults in the high school graduating classes of 1972, 1982, and 1992 who went on to earn more than 10 college credits within 8.5 years of completing high school. Topics covered by…

Black North America is ethnically and culturally diverse. It contains many groups who do not call themselves or have not always called themselves "Negro,""Black,""African-American," and so forth, such as Louisiana Creoles of color and many of the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. There are also numerous North…

In education, it is necessary to look at students who are marginalized, and excluded, who is centered or privileged, and how, through academic discourse, silences are created, sustained, and legitimized. The three papers in this collection explore the politics of silencing and voice in education. "It's More Covert Today': The Importance of…

Womens' studies has created theories about gender and the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, and sexuality that offer important analytical frameworks for developing multicultural curricula. This chapter reviews the progress of women's studies as a catalyst for the transformation of U.S. higher education curricula. The discussion of feminist…

This report summarizes ACT assessment scores of students attending Great City Schools (GCS) between 1990-99, examining achievement gaps by course preparation, race, gender, and poverty. Data included ACT composite scores and scores in English, reading, math, and science reasoning. The total number of ACT test-takers increased nationally by 20…

This collection of snapshots examines the well-being of America's children and adults through the lens of the 1999 National Survey of America's Families. Snapshots include: "Foreword: Snapshots of America's Families II: A View of the Nation and 13 States from the National Survey of America's Families" (Alyssa Wigton and Alan Weil);…

This report profiles the 2000 status of and changes (since 1990) in rates of health and health-related measures for racially and culturally diverse populations living in the 100 largest U.S. cities and their suburbs. Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify patterns in race/ethnicity, foreign…

This document summarizes key recommendations developed to address the needs and issues of low-income students of color, many of whom are also English language learners. It grew out of discussions among California school district superintendents, school board members, and other educators. These educators noted that 60% of California students are…

A study examined enrollment patterns in the Texas public school system for four cohorts of students from 1993-94 to 1996-97. The 1996-97 cohort, for example, which began with students enrolled in the 9th grade for the first time in 1993-94, was followed for 4 years through expected graduation in 1996-97. The 1993-94 cohort included first-time 9th…

Early years workers can help create an environment for young children that fosters equality. This handbook seeks to help readers understand racism and its effects by focusing on: (1) general issues of fairness and equality; (2) what we understand prejudice and racism to mean; (3) how children learn to be prejudiced; (4) ways of helping children…

Asserting that escalating violence against and by children and adolescents is the manifestation of a range of serious and long neglected problems, this report examines the contribution of deadly firearms to the prevalence of violence in American communities, presents statistics on national trends, and describes state actions. Following an…