The Advisory Committee on Testing in Chapter 1 evaluated current testing policies in the Chapter 1 program and offered the U.S. Department of Education advice on improvements and alternatives to the current system. After analyzing existing testing procedures, the committee concluded that Chapter 1's overreliance on a single testing method,…

Based on the premise that school reform efforts must consider the needs of at-risk children, this paper discusses parallel reform efforts that focus on community service. The first part discusses logical linkages between community service and "at-risk" education and describes how Arizona is attempting to formalize these linkages within…

This newsletter, created for teachers, parents, and others interested in current educational themes, addresses the issue of mentoring, what it is, how it works, and why it is needed; and provides some examples of current mentoring programs. It explains that there are two types of mentoring: natural, such as through friends, relatives, and…

This six-article document examines the research base that can be used in formulating plans to improve the chances of schooling success for all students. Each article summarizes well-confirmed knowledge in a particular area, giving attention first to the research literature, and then to the tested experiences and practices of leading professionals.…

This report takes a hard look at the day-to-day workings of Palm Beach County (Florida) schools to explain why the systemic change model of Florida's current reform legislation is likely to fail the students in greatest need of improved schooling. The Palm Beach County School District is the 4th largest district in Florida, and the 15th largest in…

During the 1995-96 school year, the 387 nonpublic schools of Chicago (Illinois) enrolled 104,636 students, while the 550 public schools had an enrollment of 412,921. One of every five Chicago students attended a nonpublic school. About 10% of Chicago private school students are in schools that cater to the upper and middle class, but the majority,…

The School-to-Work Urban Opportunities Program represents a 5-year commitment by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) (Texas) and the Houston Community College System to establish a program to facilitate students' development of the skills and abilities necessary to secure meaningful employment. The program involves one high school and…

This monograph presents a synthesis of current concerns and information relative to at-risk children. The report summarizes and discusses major issues concerning contemporary definitions of "at risk," the history of concern over at-risk children, general factors and conditions involved in placing children at risk, and contemporary issues regarding…

This publication presents approaches to early childhood education conceived in universities and other educational institutions and implemented in schools under the Follow Through Program, a national school improvement effort offering low-income children comprehensive educational and social services. The following papers are provided:…

In order to study the persistence of poverty across generations with a view to developing or monitoring cross-generational poverty-reduction policies, social indicators to track dependency and deprivation of children are needed. Available data on the dependency and deprivation of children primarily describe the following characteristics of the…

This essay examines the challenges that today's children and families face due to the rapidly changing nature of modern society, and suggests some solutions to help ensure the optimal development of children and adolescents. Rapid technological change, the decline of the extended family, the increased number of women in the workplace, and…

Guidelines are presented for New York's prekindergarten program for 4-year-old children from economically disadvantaged families, which is intended to provide the young child with a comfortable, secure, and inviting transition from home to school. Eligible providers are public school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, who…

Testimony concerning the African American family and in particular, males as an endangered species, is presented in this report of a hearing before the California State legislature. Among the witnesses was Judge Loncke, who discussed issues of court procedure and police role as well as patterns of low education, hopelessness, and youth among…

This document includes a selection of materials from the National Coalition of Education Activists (NCEA) on tracking and ability grouping designed to be a tool for teachers who wish to organize their school or district against tracking. The packet contains a cover letter, a response/feedback form, and reproductions of the following articles: (1)…

This book examines the threat to childhood development posed by living amid chronic community violence and the link between a child's response to growing up in an atmosphere of violence and danger and the social context established for that child by community and caregivers. The 11 chapters in the book are as follows: (1) "The Meaning of…