Examines the extent to which variation in self-reported delinquency is explained by the seven containment variables (favorable self-concept, goal orientation, frustration tolerance, retention of norms, internalization of rules, availability of meaningful roles, and group reinforcement), and focuses on racial and sex differences in self-reported…

Understanding the health literacy of America's adults is important because so many aspects of finding health care and health information, and maintaining health, depend on understanding written information. Many reports have suggested that low health literacy is associated with poor communication between patients and health care providers and with…

In this multi-faceted exploratory study, administrative data were used to examine trends in residential care utilization by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and youth outcomes from 1993 to 2003. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with entry to residential care and…

It has become common place for students in historically white universities (HWUs) in South Africa to have 24 hour access to computers, the Internet, e-learning facilities, check results online and even register online. However, historically black universities (HBUs) are still battling to have access to these facilities. On a macro level, the issue…

This guide compares statistics for black and non-Hispanic white children in each state to assess gaps in economic, educational, and social wellbeing. It uses data from the 2000 U.S. Decennial Census and addresses: demographics (e.g., number of children under age 18, under age 6, ages 6-12, and ages 13-17); families and households (e.g., percent of…

The Commission's recent eligibility study showed that university eligibility rates for African American and Latino high school graduates increased substantially between 1996 and 2003. Although this is welcome news, eligibility rates do not tell the full story about access to a university education. Because a lower proportion of African American…

This report describes the demographic characteristics and educational experiences of immigrant students in New York City's elementary and middle schools. Immigrants comprise a substantial share of the elementary and middle school student body. Far more immigrant than native-born students are limited English proficient (LEP) and Asian, and far…

A study examined how two international studies--the 1991 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Reading Literacy Study and the 2001 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS, also conducted by IEA)--compared to each other in the aspects of reading literacy each assessed, the types of texts they…

The study described in this book was designed by the Southwest Regional Laboratory as part of a proposal to create a Metropolitan Center for the Far West Laboratory. The Center would focus on the challenges facing urban educators in its service area. Metropolitan school districts, characterized by high numbers of minority students, successfully…

This commentary examines the issue of youth participation in out-of-school time programs from two perspectives. It begins broadly with a youth-centered lens, by asking how children and youth spend their discretionary time and how time use patterns relate to outcomes. After painting a picture of the full out-of-school time landscape, this…

This report includes information from the National Indian Education Study of American Indian/Alaska Native students in grades 4 and 8 on the 2005 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics. The national sample includes both public and private schools (i.e. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Defense Education…

Over 530,000 children are in foster care in the United States. These children live in a variety of settings, including non-relative foster homes, the homes of relatives, and group homes. This research brief offers a national portrait of children who had been in foster care for one year. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being…

An important feature of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is its ability to document trends in academic achievement on core curriculum areas over an extended period of time. This report presents the major results of the NAEP 1996 science, mathematics, reading, and writing long-term assessments. These results chart trends going…

Congress justified the recent reform of federal welfare policy in part by citing the increase in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) caseload since the late 1960s. The caseload, i.e., the number of families using AFDC, is determined by the number of families eligible to participate and by the proportion of these families who use the…

Some parents have chosen to delay their children's enrollment in kindergarten by a year because of individual differences in the pace and pattern of children's development. In other situations, some schools recommend delaying a child's school entry based on "readiness" testing or require that some kindergartners attend kindergarten for a…