Understanding the Early Years (UEY) is a national research initiative. It provides communities with information to enable them to make informed decisions about the best policies and most appropriate programs for Canadian families with young children. This report is based on one of seven communities studied in 2001-2002. Children's outcomes were…

This study describes the civic and political behavior of the American public, with a special focus on youth ages 15 to 25. Using an extensive national telephone survey of 3,246 respondents, the authors describe what citizens are doing, and how often they are doing it. They look at a panorama of 19 core activities--ranging from voting to…

This article reviews recent ground-breaking research studies that can provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners interested in improving literacy in the United States. Each section provides a brief analysis of major research findings, followed by a series of recommendations. These issues are identified: the close relationship between…

This briefing paper describes research findings on factors linked to children's school achievement and emotional adjustment. The findings are based on the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of children and families conducted at the University of Michigan and supported…

Despite a myriad of school reform efforts, inner-city schools, attended for the most part by poor and working-class Black and Latino children, are failing to prepare students for our highly complex and changing world. This book suggests that reform efforts have failed because they focused upon school-based solutions and paid scant attention to the…

This publication presents reasons why attention to culture and learning is important in schools. It examines the relationship between culture and learning, and discusses how conflicts between the culture of the home and that of the typical classroom hinder the educational process for many children. It reviews examples of culturally sensitive…

This report confirms the detrimental effects of low family income on children by examining the well-being of children across all incomes and race-ethnicity groups in a nationally representative sample of children attending kindergarten and participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. The sample included…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor structure of a Factors Influencing Pursuit of Higher Education (FIPHE) Questionnaire which addresses factors influencing a person's decision to pursue higher education. Researchers used a literature-based, rational factors approach to develop the questionnaire; the three-part study included a…

This working paper is a product of a regional study in industrial South Wales of the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. Based on this data, three…

Studied the connection between actual cases of criminality and criminals' own experiences with their parents and why certain influences are significant. Factors described by interviewees included violence at home, neglect, and turning to peer groups for support. Consequences included the inability to develop normal social relationships. (Author/SD)

This study examined relationships between children's participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and their beliefs about physical activities and participation as well as perceptions of their parents' beliefs. Children's beliefs about their MVPA significantly predicted variance in self-reported MVPA. Children's perceptions of…

Contends that a range of theories exists in the social science literature about the effects of family processes on the social and academic success of a family's offspring. Identifies major theoretical perspectives that have dominated the literature on families and minority student achievement. (CFR)

A study examined attitudes, cognitive and noncognitive experiences, and transfer-related behaviors of 277 nontraditional-age Hispanic students graduating from a community college. Measures were developed for family concerns, encouragement, social and academic integration, English skills, and educational and institutional commitments. Variables…

Posits reasons for accelerated alcohol use and accompanying personality changes among Soviet adolescents. Analyzes the relationship between difficult family environment and poor academic performance. Contends that students who are alienated from school seek to meet needs in antisocial groups where the frequency of drinking to excess often produces…

A study using structured interviews assessed views of 46 poor single-mother college students concerning factors in their academic success. The study identified four social support factors (support of other students, family, faculty, and university services) and four psychological belief factors (personal ambition, effort/discipline, prior…