This report provides information about the performance of 1998 graduating seniors nationwide who took the ACT Assessment as sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Caution in applying these results is advised because these ACT-tested seniors may not be representative of the total population of graduating seniors. Information is provided according to the…

The School-Based Management and Accountability Program, also known as the "ABCs of Public Education," or just "the ABCs," is the statewide school-based accountability program for public schools in North Carolina. This document provides data on student performance on end-of-grade tests, end-of-course tests, the Scholastic…

The study examined whether a relationship exists between cultural background (Caucasian, Hispanic, or Black) and families' attitudes toward educational programming for a family member with severe disabilities. Useable surveys were returned by 91 respondents out of the 103 of 337 families (31%) to whom surveys had been distributed. The 40-item…

This report summarizes 1988-89 statistical data on student characteristics and educational outcomes for the Seattle (Washington) Public School District. Information is reported for the entire district, by racial group, and by type of school. The following demographic characteristics are reported: (1) 45.1 percent of the students are white and 54.9…

This study assessed the extent to which support exerts direct or indirect effects on child and adolescent achievement (grade point average and Statistical Aptitude Test scores). Personal interviews were conducted with 120 African American, 101 Anglo-European American, and 112 Latin American students (151 males and 182 females) in grades 1-2,…

Whether specification of focal group membership based on ethnicity as well as educational opportunity affects differential item functioning (DIF) of test items was studied. Subjects were 4,342 freshmen admitted to a large midwestern university who completed the 40-item Advanced Mathematics Placement Examination in the spring of 1991. There were…

This conference paper discusses the current situation of racial differences in housing in the Chicago (Illinois) area with regard to the ramifications of the "Miliken v. Bradley" (1974) case. The Miliken case closed the door on busing and school desegregation plans crossing school district lines and in many cases, crossing municipal…

The policy of apartheid, until recently one of the dominant aspects of South African society, has caused grievous harm to that nation's non-white population, especially black women and children. Most black children have not grown up in stable, two-parent families due to migrant labor policies and low wages. Housing, health care, nutrition, and…

Effects of the positioning of the child in the family and community were studied for 80 Portuguese students, ages 10 to 12 years, of differing race, social class, and gender. Positioning is considered to be a factor that reflects power and control relations in family hierarchical structures, and one that is particularly influenced by family…

This report is a comprehensive study of the status of children and their families in New York City. It measures how well children are doing by using widely recognized indicators of well-being, and it measures the need, use, and accessibility of services to help children. "Keeping Track" focuses on community-level data, examining the 59…

This study investigated the relative freshman-year cognitive impacts of five two-year and six four-year colleges and universities drawn from all sections of the United States. The overall sample was 2,685 freshmen students participating in a national longitudinal study and of these the final sample contained 811 students, 280 attending five…

This newsletter issue focuses on how the family support movement can help reshape the human services delivery system to more effectively meet the needs of African American families. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "Dispelling Myths and Building on Strengths: Supporting African American Families"; (2) "The 'Nguzo…

What has been learned about making cities better since civil disturbances first arose in American cities is summarized, and guidelines are offered for constructing an urban agenda for improvement. In some respects the country has made real progress since the Watts riots, but in other areas, conditions are unambiguously worse, with increasing…

This study examined selected characteristics and behaviors among fifth grade pupils who ranged in age from 11 to 12 years. The sample (N=975) constituted the entire fifth grade population of a moderate-sized city 45 miles from Atlanta, Georgia. The sample consisted of 160 black students and 815 white students, with 511 boys and 464 girls. A…

Schools fail to meet the schooling needs of many nonwhite students. Afrocentricity, a new curricular movement that looks through African eyes, focuses on improving schooling experiences for African-Americans. Some proponents view it as an answer to African-American student underachievement and say it enhances self-esteem, achievement levels,…