This collection of papers explores federal, state, and local efforts across the United States to ensure that all students have equal and equitable educational opportunities. The book begins with an introduction, "Title I Schoolwide Programs: Examining Evidence from the Field" (Dianne L. Taylor and Elizabeth A. Kemper). Section 1,…

The "Plain Talk about K.I.D.S. (Kids Inclined toward Difficulty in School)" summit on learning disorders was held in 1995 to bring together experts in the field of learning disorders to help disseminate the knowledge that will bring progress in the educational management of students who have difficulty in school. The first 10 chapters present…

Six programs are profiled that garner both deep engagement and high achievement from young people. All build upon fundamental needs of adolescent life: to register positive impact upon the world, to feel respected and connected, and to construct one's own narrative. A community action initiative at a high school in Texas' Rio Grande Valley is…

This book focuses on ways teachers can modify their teaching in order to increase the academic achievement of students from the racial and ethnic groups that are experiencing massive failure in U.S. schools, and consequently in society. Modifying instruction to improve the academic achievement of African American and Latino students will benefit…

This paper describes a project that provided television set-top Internet access devices to Latino families as part of a project to link the school and home in an inquiry-based science curriculum. The early phases of adoption of the Internet and the "NetTV" devices by families are described, with special attention to the different ways…

In 1987, the Annie E. Casey Foundation invited 10 medium-sized U.S. cities to apply to be part of the "New Futures" project, a program designed for cities that showed willingness and capacity to experiment with comprehensive, collaborative, public-private approaches to the multiple problems of at-risk children. Eventually, five cities…

The case study of the relationship between classroom life and home for a minority child in an urban school illustrates the complex influences the home has on the child and the ways in which a culturally sensitive teacher can interact with parents in planning for the child's education. The teacher of a combined second-third grade at an urban school…

The data in this report are Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) results and most recent scores for students scheduled to graduate from North Carolina schools in 1998 regardless of when they last took the test. Results represent the performance of public and nonpublic school students, including the state's charter schools and schools for the gifted.…

An evaluation was conducted to determine if there were any statistically significant, educationally meaningful, and longitudinally consistent effects on student achievement of the Ten Schools Program (TSP) after controlling for the effects of socioeconomic status and level of English proficiency. The TSP was designed to improve the academic…

This study surveyed 202 state-level disability organizations concerning their capacity, policy, and practices for working with youth with disabilities who are homeless, runaway, or at risk for running away. Major findings indicated: (1) limited awareness existed of the relationship between disabilities and runaway and homeless youth; (2) only 26…

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the title of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, describes a worthy goal for this nation. Tragically, NCLB is aggravating, not solving, the real problems that cause many children to be left behind. NCLB must be overhauled if the federal government is to make a useful contribution to…

Arkansas has made important commitments to enhance the quality of and access to early education opportunities for young children, particularly those from disadvantaged families. These commitments are valuable, but they do not yet ensure that all children have access to pre-k programs. At issue is whether it makes economic sense to expand…

The challenges of early adolescence are intensified for girls of color who live in disadvantaged urban communities. One response to the needs of these girls comes from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), a youth development organization that has a long-standing presence in innercity neighborhoods. A gender equity initiative designed to…

The program for artistically talented in the Jersey City Public Schools primarily serves a disadvantaged population. Among its activities are field trips to the countryside and to local neighborhoods. Students get new visual experiences which they can compare to familiar ones and are encouraged to use in their artwork. (CS)