Based on advice and information from Peace Corps volunteers, staff, and experts, this manual provides creative, innovative ideas for activities for youth that are founded on development principles. Part 1 provides information about these different kinds of youth a volunteer may encounter in the community: in-school, out-of-school, differently…

Two public policy shifts in the past 10 years--the move from welfare to work and the end of social promotion in school--are intertwined in their implementation in the lives of working poor families. This report draws on ethnographic data from a 6-year study of working poor families in New York City over the period in which welfare reform became a…

Work requirements in welfare reform proposed by the George W. Bush administration would impose much tougher work requirements on welfare recipients. Seventy percent of all adults would be required to work 40 hours per week, versus the 50 percent who are required to work 30 hours per week currently. In addition, states would be given little leeway…

A study by the Texas Education Agency examined the variables contributing to the academic success of economically disadvantaged and language minority students. Data were collected from seven high-achieving elementary schools with high poverty rates and high percentages of limited English proficient (LEP) students via teacher questionnaires;…

This document presents an outline of a number of social, economic, and demographic trends that influence the effectiveness of instruction and the social development of youth across the country. It contains numbers and statistics, recommendations, and implications, along with 30 references. The document covers trends in the following areas: (1)…

This brief reviews the key findings of the 1998 national survey conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges to examine the effect of welfare reform on community colleges, and compares them with a similar survey from fall 1997. It includes some background information on welfare policy, a profile of the welfare population served by…

Although early intervention programs have enjoyed popular and legislative support, little hard data exist on the long-term consequences of these efforts. This study examined the long-term effects of the Child-Parent Center (CPC) program in Chicago. Begun in 1967, the program operates out of 24 centers, located in proximity to the elementary…

This document contains four issues of a quarterly annotated bibliography of documents and projects in progress from Australia's VOCED database that are available through Australia's National Vocational Education and Training Clearinghouse Information Network. Introductory materials include the following: national, state, territory, and polytechnic…

This book, the last volume in a three-part series, draws on a large-scale worldwide poverty study to present the views, experiences, and aspirations of poor people in 14 selected countries. In each country, interviews and discussion groups were held in 8-15 rural and urban communities that reflected the most prevalent poverty groups and the…

This report highlights issues for policymakers and provides guidance to states and localities implementing the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) by describing the successes and struggles of five cities implementing the new legislation. It presents WIA's basic framework and discusses its impact on these four major audiences: employment and…

Since its inception under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, the Title I program has provided high-poverty schools funding for services to assist low-achieving children. Title I promotes increasing the amount and quality of learning time; data-driven decisionmaking; providing an enriched and accelerated curriculum; and…

Documents opinions of educators in Quebec, Canada, on Bill 101, which made French the official language of instruction in the province. Describes educational situations, practices, and programs that pertain to language and to education for Protestants, Catholics, other religious groups, minority groups, and the disadvantaged. (MJL)

A study compared the performance of 21 sixth graders receiving Title I services, 13 with learning disabilities, 9 gifted students, and 58 others on a legal knowledge test after a 3-week course in a mainstream setting. The groups differed significantly on declarative knowledge tasks, but not on procedural and conditional knowledge tasks. Results…

Reports on an economic empowerment model that focuses on the household economy and the resources required by households for the production of their livelihood. Conceives of household economies as integrating the moral economy of social relations with the exchange economy based on money transactions. (MJP)

Utilizes questionnaires to examine the various approaches to assessment used by inner city London, primary grade teachers. Specifically investigates assessment in English, mathematics, and science. Discovers a wide variety of approaches, both formal and informal. Discusses these findings in light of recent policy developments. (MJP)