This paper discusses the individual, family, household and area level characteristics associated with preschool attendance for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (aged three to five years who are not at school). Controlling for these factors explains all of the difference between Indigenous and non-Indigenous attendance rates for…

Transfer is a crucial point in a student's educational pathway since a student who fails to transfer will not be able to attain a bachelor's degree or the benefits that accompany it, such as middle-class status and higher earnings. When members of ethnic minority groups are particularly disadvantaged in reaching their full educational potential, a…

Every student absence jeopardizes the ability of students to succeed at school and schools to achieve their mission. Students who are not at school cannot receive instruction. Schools funded on the basis of average daily attendance have less resources to do the job. Some youngsters who are truant from school engage in behaviors that are illegal.…

For every school district with a formal adult education program, creative solutions to many K-12 issues may very well be right in their own backyard, and virtually free of cost. For district leaders, understanding the mission and the funding issues surrounding adult education are the first steps in understanding how their program can better serve…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) NCLB Turns Five: Key Players in Reauthorization Process Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of Landmark Education Law, Begin…

In 2004, Chapin Hall researchers conducted a study to learn why youth ran way from substitute care (Courtney, et al., 2005). As part of the study, qualitative interviews were conducted with 46 youth who had run away from care and 16 professionals and foster parents who worked with these youth. Although the youth were not prompted with specific…

This is the 11th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). Analysis continues to focus on the long-term historical trends in RUSD, comparing RUSD to nine peer school districts and the State of Wisconsin. RUSD peer districts are Wisconsin's largest (Milwaukee Public Schools are not included) and their…

Character includes the emotional, intellectual and moral qualities of a person or group as the demonstration of these qualities in prosocial behavior. Character education is an inclusive term encompassing all aspects of how schools, related social institutions and parents can support the positive character development of children and adults.…

This literature review focuses on the overrepresentation of African-American males in special education. The most prevalent factors that contribute to this epidemic are poverty and the perceptions of teachers, their attitudes towards African-American men and the lack of their cultural understandings. Not only does this literature review focus on…

This paper investigates the determinants and malleability of noncognitive skills. Using data on boys from the National Education Longitudinal Survey, I focus on youth behavior in the classroom as a measure of noncognitive skills. I find that student behavior during adolescence is persistent. The variation in behavior can be attributed to…

Noting that several current communication theories suggest that the media have a "persuasive" effect on American society, a study compared the effects of two media (the electronic medium of television and the spoken medium of the homily) and whether these media have different effects on their audience's perceptions of reality. A national phone…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in 1987-88 and 1990-91, asked teachers and principals their view of problems in their schools. When asked about a range of school problems including absenteeism, student drug abuse, and physical conflicts among students, teachers and principals could…

The Absent Student Assistance Program (ASAP) began as a collaboration between the one Houston (Texas) precinct and two middle schools to reduce unexcused absences. By 1996-97, the program had expanded to a second precinct and additional middle and high schools. Program implementation in Precinct 7 was evaluated for the 1996-97 school year. Schools…

This report describes a 2-year study of the effects of various lighting systems on elementary school students' dental health, attendance, growth and development, vision, and academic achievement. The four light types used were: (1) full spectrum fluorescent; (2) full spectrum fluorescent with ultraviolet light supplements; (3) cool white…

This study compares student populations between two high schools in an urban school district in Indiana and populations within the schools to determine the effects of a punitive attendance policy and the attendance patterns of various groups. The schools were differentiated by the factor of one school enforcing an attendance policy. Random samples…