Examined the school and life experiences of former preschoolers 17 years after they participated in the Syracuse (New York) Prekindergarten Program. Data on influences that impinged upon the students indicated few differences between the school achieving and non-achieving students. Subjects from both groups were doing well, indicating the…

Data and concepts relevant to the Carolina Abecedarian experiment (an intensive early intervention intended to improve the intellectual performance of high-risk children) are presented. Evidence from the project supports the malleability of early intellectual development and improved school readiness and performance resulting from the…

Describes the development of a project to provide preschool services to disadvantaged children in Dublin, Ireland, highlighting pedagogical approaches and requirements for parental service in place of payment. Discusses research on program effectiveness indicating consistent program growth, regular attendance for most of the children, and high…

Examines the School Development Program of James Comer, first essayed in two predominantly Black New Haven (Connecticut) elementary schools. His theories of school improvement stress stability, autonomy, institutional loyalty, warmth of daily interaction, and other elements present in Black families and communities in prior decades. (DM)

Discusses various responses to the author's book "Ways with Words--Language, Life and Work in Communities and Classrooms" (1983). Describes how these reactions have led the author to see things in the work that she had not seen before. Strengths and weaknesses of the book she identifies have implications for the conduct of future ethnographic…

Describes the Family Focus for School Success Project, a model program that provides education and support to language minority families in poverty and their children through comprehensive early intervention for children at risk of academic failure because of their home environments. An evaluation of the first year's efforts with 69 families…

Schools can do a much better job of educating students, especially low income and minority students, if they draw on information already available and replicate educational programs that have been successful. Suggestions are made for replicating proven programs. (SLD)

Examines evidence from voucher programs in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) and Cleveland (Ohio) to show that voucher programs do not deliver what they promise. In both cities the programs have favored relatively advantaged students, leaving the most disadvantaged in the public school system with even fewer resources than the system had before. (SLD)

Assessed the assignment of students in an urban system to ninth-grade mathematics courses against a meritocratic definition of fairness to determine whether the process denied access to students from particular segments of society. Results with 1611 students show that entrance to the gatekeeper mathematics courses was unfairly denied for low…

This qualitative study examines beliefs and values of leaders in two "turnaround" high schools in high-poverty rural areas, one serving Mexican-American students in Texas, the other serving African-American students in Alabama. Four common beliefs emerged, emphasizing the value of: challenging the myth; demonstrating courage; creating a…

Examines the consequences of Vermont's effort to equalize school funding so that no district could spend more on its children than another district, exploring the ways in which this approach has lessened education for many, rather than improving education for the disadvantaged. Emphasizes strong public opinion about property taxes and school…

The Improving America's School Act funds numerous small programs that dissipate its purpose and increase its vulnerability. Congress is debating extension of federal roles into areas such as social promotion, parental rights, reading programs, class-size reduction, and national voluntary tests. Changing budget rules pits education against military…

Mentoring programs cannot always obliterate deficiencies in adult/child relationships or better student achievement. Two successful programs are the Big Brother/Big Sister program and the Office of Juvenile Justice's Juvenile Mentoring Program. (JUMP). Social support, not social control, is essential. Sidebars contain program tips and selected…

Notes that street life for children and adolescents in India provides few cognitive developmental opportunities that would lead to a better life, but does provide survival and crisis coping skills. Presents findings from a study of 100 street children and adolescents who return home every evening; the subjects work, interact with peers, and have…

Investigated patterns of participation in high school extracurricular activities, using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1998. Students of upper socioeconomic status and higher ability were more likely to participate in extracurricular activities; girls were more likely to participate than boys (except in sports); and…