This research study addresses the childhood obesity epidemic, which has seen the number of overweight children from the ages of 6 to 11 triple since the mid-1970s. The authors note that there are more than twice as many poor and obese adolescents compared with more affluent youths, and examine a number of factors linking obesity and poverty.…

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue features articles drawn from four of the conference papers presented at the September 2007 IRP…

This analytical review aims at exploring trends in educational access and delineating different groups, which are vulnerable to exclusion from educational opportunities at the elementary stage. This review has drawn references from series of analytical papers developed on different themes i.e. regional disparity in education, social equity and…

The National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) was appointed in 2002 and carried out its work under the auspices of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). NELP's primary goal was to identify interventions, parenting activities, and instructional practices that promote the development of children's early literacy skills. The National Institute…

Opposition to outcome-based education (OBE) has become a rallying cry for a number of organized groups that oppose state-education reform initiatives around the country. Such opposition has arisen recently in Kentucky among groups that object to many components of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). This paper explores the…

Adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is currently increasing. Three out of four adolescents report regular drinking. Significant alcohol, inhalant, and cigarette use is reported as early as fourth grade, and alcohol experimentation increases from 6 to 17 percent between fourth and sixth grades. Adolescence is a high risk stage for…

This report addresses the underrepresentation of Mexican-Americans in the faculties of U.S. universities. During the 11-year period from 1980 to 1990, a total of 91,837 women received doctorates from U.S. universities, and of these, 751 (0.7 percent) were Mexican-Americans. Of the 148,352 men who received doctorates during this period, 1,189 (also…

Parents who have come to expect fairness in the workplace are finding gender stereotypes and bias in classrooms and on playgrounds of their children's schools. This book offers advice to parents on how to identify gender bias in a child's environment and supplies definitions of key terms, checklists of ideas, and action steps to take to help…

This paper reports on a study of primary-grade students (N=79) and their parents in an attempt to identify opportunities for enhancing the collaborative interaction between home and school when designing quality learning environments. In particular, the study looked at the children's print concept development, reading attitudes, and family…

This guide is aimed at easing the transition from childhood to and through adolescence for both children and their parents. Supplementing the topics covered in the work are data gathered from a questionnaire study of 100 adolescents on their opinions of the areas studied in the guide. Part one of the book, "Milestones of Adolescence,"…

Noting the relatively few studies that have examined the individual contributions that mothers and fathers make to their children's schooling, this study examined the extent to which resident (excluding foster) and nonresident fathers are involved in their children's schools, and the influence their involvement has on how their children are doing…

Family influence is an important force in preparing youth for their roles as workers. Family background factors found to be associated with career development include parents' socioeconomic status, their educational level, biogenetic factors, and family income. Family processes of interaction, communication, and behavior influence what the child…

Data from the fifth sweep of Britain's National Child Development Study were analyzed to investigate the relationship between parents' literacy and numeracy problems, other parental characteristics, and their children's reading and mathematics abilities. Strong relationships were found between parents' self-reported literacy problems and their…

This report examines recent research and program developments designed to improve the education of children by improving the literacy skills of their parents, particularly their mothers, who did not graduate from high school. Traditional research has revealed that more highly educated mothers have greater success in providing their children with…

This book examines the content and effects of the Mother-Child Education Program, an early childhood and adult education program implemented widely in Turkey. The book presents a multipurpose education model, which draws on research indicating that support in early years can affect the development of the child, and which can be used to disseminate…