Equity does not require that everyone have the same amount of resources to satisfy basic needs, but it does require that each of us be able to live decently. The articles in this issue focus on poverty and its effects on children, particularly with respect to education and the ability to learn. The following articles are included: (1) "Poor Kids…

One new approach to the needs of at-risk African American male students that is being implemented in several urban school districts throughout the nation is the immersion school approach. This is the establishment of schools that provide a curriculum and related experiences for African American male students that are distinct from the curriculum…

This project attempted to identify differences in the communicative skills of American Indians compared to other applicants for employment in the food service industry and conducted a demonstration training program to improve both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. The study developed out of a perceived lack of communicative competence…

This study investigated the correlation between noncognitive variables and academic success in a freshman composition course. A sample of 257 freshmen taking an introductory English course completed a survey assessing their attitudes and achievement expectancies. The questionnaire measured self-ratings of overall academic ability, drive to…

A study at the University of Missouri-Columbia investigated the stress factors and coping mechanisms among 196 faculty members in 16 departments. The study was undertaken during a period of low faculty salaries in comparison with similar institutions, characterized as moderate to severe financial decline. During the middle of the fall semester of…

This report presents the results of a 1994-95 survey of U.S. colleges and universities offering doctorate, masters, and bachelors degrees in physics and astronomy, focusing on degree production and current student enrollment. It found that over the last 3 years, first-year graduate physics enrollments have declined 22 percent at doctorate-granting…

This chapter focuses on the substantial gaps in school enrollments and cognitive achievement between boys and girls in rural Pakistan and between a relatively prosperous district (Faisalabad, Punjab) and a poor district (Badin, Sind). An important policy question is whether the allocation of educational expenditures to target disadvantaged groups…

This study investigated African American adolescents' achievement values. One hundred and forty-six male and 161 female African American sixth graders at a middle school in the Los Angeles (California) area nominated classmates according to 3 criteria: those whom they most admired, respected, and wanted to be like. These nominations were combined…

Focusing mostly on their application for primary schools, this document describes the educational key performance indicators (KPI) employed by the Wendsworth, England, Local Educational Authority (LEA). Indicators are divided into 3 areas, educational context, resource development, and outcomes. Contextual indicators include pupil mobility, home…

In the area of child rearing, U.S. society has largely allowed "expert" ideas and theories to dominate public discussion and literature on child development, at the expense of the attitudes and experiences of those women actually involved with child rearing. This book argues the need for a feminist discussion of childrearing because of the…

This publication reports on a survey to develop a profile of adolescent health in Hawaii in order to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies. The survey covered: general health status; family, peer, and school problems; depression and suicide; use of licit and illicit substances; sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases; and…

The essays in this collection conduct a dialogue about race from a multiracial perspective. The biracial baby boom that began in the 1960s practically guarantees that anyone living in a large American city knows someone who is racially mixed. The contemporary presence of racially mixed people is unmatched in our country's history. These essays…

A program to train literacy providers to help empower women was developed with funding from the United Nations Development Program. The training program is based on a manual titled "Educate to Empower." The manual, which is designed to train material developers to prepare gender-sensitive learning kits on various topics related to…

Social cognitive theory suggests that individuals' beliefs about their efficacy in specific contexts, such as school, influence their motivation in those settings. The relationship between various sociocultural factors and the development of adolescents' perceived academic self-efficacy are investigated in this paper. Participants (N=202), drawn…

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, the expectations for women's achievement have risen. This document presents a snapshot of the progress made toward gender equity in education and the barriers remaining. Females have increasingly enrolled in and completed college, obtained a greater number of graduate and professional degrees, participated in…