Reviews the history and causes of homeless children in the United States from early 19th century to the present. Explores four characteristics necessary for positive developmental pathways that are compromised for children who live on the street: sense of industry and competency, feeling connected to others and society, sense of control of one's…

Draws on research with Brazilian street children to present methodological and ethical challenges inherent in research with street children; provides suggestions for overcoming these challenges. Issues of concern include the following: definition and sampling, and lack of clarity in these areas; measurement aspects, including surveys,…

Describes and evaluates a teacher training project in Chile that was meant to change attitudes toward native culture among rural teachers in one Aymara school district serving approximately 200 children. Findings suggest that hegemonic barriers stand in the way of broadening the scope of intercultural education in plural, democratic societies.…

Since home is the most unequal environment in education, school should be an arena of equity. Alternative education can catalyze America's unrealized hopes by helping poor, discouraged youngsters overcome their most debilitating handicaps: rampant pessimism, failure to trust in effort, and mistrust of societal institutions. Doing nothing is not an…

In this account of a gifted black child living in an impoverished rural environment, a university researcher and a classroom teacher collaborated in order to describe the young man's creativity, his resilience, his struggle to find a place for himself in his community, and the factors that influenced a strong self-identity. (Contains references.)…

A correlational study conducted with 10 Honolulu schools suggests that significant relationships exist between home-based parental involvement activities and student performance on norm-referenced tests. Home-based reinforcement probably exerts a more positive influence on student learning than remote policy changes. Schools should increase…

Reports on the achievement of the first Waldorf public elementary school in Milwaukee (Wisconsin). Early experience indicates that Waldorf pedagogy, with its emphasis on the natural rhythms of everyday life, is an effective model for predominantly African American children in an inner city. (SLD)

Examines the change in focus of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 from an emphasis on isolated remedial add-on services to a concentration on leveraging overall improvement in teaching and learning. Benefits of schoolwide programs are highlighted, and the components needed for developing high-functioning schools are…

Describes selection of the first recipients of Gates Millennium Scholarships and examines philanthropy's role in overall spending on higher education and student aid. Asserts that while private efforts are important for the individual students they help, they have a negligible impact on access to higher education and cannot be counted on to…

A survey of 166 youth in the California Conservation Corps (CCC) examined the use of the CCC for career development. Thirty percent of those surveyed had not completed high school. About one-fourth of respondents hoped CCC would lead to a permanent career, but most had joined to develop their job skills and explore career opportunities. (TD)

Describes afterschool science program, implemented by a group of women engineers, to provide 18 African American middle-school female students with hands-on science activities related to the manufacture and design of automobiles. Women engineers served as mentors and role models. Program had positive influence on students' attitudes towards math,…

Examined the implementation of the Success for All early intervention program in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) at four urban elementary schools with 128 high-risk students compared to 136 control participants. Program implementation resulted in higher reading achievement for the at-risk students. (SLD)

High-stakes testing is forcing debate over achieving both educational excellence and equity. A pragmatic, middle position claims high-stakes testing can work with clear but limited goals, flexibility, and the will to address at-risk students' problems. Texas, Chicago, and New York City programs and implementation steps are highlighted. (MLH)

Describes Wake County, North Carolina's, new socioeconomic integration plan, which is intended to improve academic performance. Examines previous and unsuccessful school desegregation plans and their impact on poor students of color. Discusses how educators and lawmakers must develop innovative, multidimensional policies to promote integration…

Teacher ratings of 336 preschool children (mean age = 48 months) attending two urban Head Start programs were collected to examine the influence of contextual variables of teacher training, classroom, and site on the prevalence of significant problems. The prevalence of externalizing behaviors in the "problem range" was higher than expected and…