Major purposes of the urban cooperative work education programs study were to assess the effectiveness of secondary and postsecondary cooperative education programs in the nation's hundred largest cities and to analyze the postprogram experiences of both participants and nonparticipants. Thirty case studies were compiled from 19 secondary and 11…

The Beacons Initiative aimed to transform eight public schools (five middle schools and three high schools) into youth and family centers in low-income neighborhoods in San Francisco, California. Using a coalition of local partners and funding from public agencies and foundations, the centers served 7,500 youth and adults between July 1, 1999, and…

Strategies to improve disadvantaged young people's access to and progression within initial vocational training (VT) were identified through a study of relevant experiences within the European Union's member states. The study, which was based on national reports from each country, focused on the following topics: identifying the challenges and…

Utilizes letters to the First Lady and President Roosevelt as primary sources for a series of activities supporting a unit on the Great Depression. The letter to Mrs. Roosevelt asks for some old clothes for a needy family. The letter to President Roosevelt expresses dissatisfaction with his efforts. (MJP)

The author documents pervasive racial disparities in the health of American children and analyzes how and how much those disparities contribute to racial gaps in school readiness. She explores a broad sample of health problems common to U.S. children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, asthma, and lead poisoning, as well as maternal…

Schools in 47 high-poverty school districts located mostly along the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia may have a head start on new requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, thanks to a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Begun in April 2000, the five-year Coastal Rural Systemic…

Improving education outcomes is vital for achieving convergence with GDP per capita levels in Western European countries and for reducing income inequality. While some education outcomes are favourable, such as the low secondary-school drop-out rate, others have room for improvement: education achievement is below the OECD average and strongly…

This White Paper summarizes findings from an extensive literature review that was conducted to identify the most promising models and approaches for meeting the needs of low-income children, youth, and families during the summer months. Special attention is paid to summer learning programs that serve diverse, urban low-income children and youth.…

School districts receiving Chapter 1 funds are to conduct a study of sustained effects once every 3 years and to use the results for planning future Chapter 1 programs. As part of this effort, the Columbus (Ohio) public schools conducted pretest-to-posttest, posttest-to-sustained effect, and pretest-to-sustained effect studies of 4,031 students in…

This book summarizes the experiences of nurture groups (small special education classes started in 1970 in London schools), where young children from disadvantaged environments are prepared to access the full primary school curriculum. Chapter 1, "Children at Risk of Failure in Primary Schools" (Marion Bennathan), discusses the incidence…

This document contains the texts of 22 papers presented at a conference on vocational education for special needs persons (including handicapped, disadvantaged, and limited English-speaking persons). Papers in the volume range from the theoretical to practical "how-to" suggestions. The following topics are covered in the conference papers: using…

The Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects (YIEPP) demonstration was a large-scale test of a school-conditioning guaranteed jobs program for teenagers from low-income families. Unlike previous youth employment programs, the YIEPP linked school and work by offering jobs to all youth who met the eligibility criteria and who also agreed to remain…

This curriculum guide has been developed to assist vocational and special education teachers in teaching handicapped and disadvantaged students in a beginning vocational agriculture course. The guide contains suggestions and experiences that are necessary to support the achievement of specific competencies. The guide is divided into units of…

This book describes experimental demonstration programs in the United States on different ways to link school and work more meaningfully for disadvantaged teenagers. The programs are sponsored by Youthwork, Incorporated, a public-private partnership concerned with youth unemployment and the transition from school to work. The book provides…

The Job Corps is described as a training program for impoverished and unemployed young people between the ages of 16 and 21 which will help them become responsible adults, prepare to get and hold productive jobs, return to school or further training, or satisfy Armed Forces' entrance requirements. (Currently (1976), Job Corps provides training for…