Most research on the long-term outcomes of early enrichment programs for low-income children suggests that the effects of Head Start participation and similar experiences are to help narrow the gap between academic achievement of low-income and higher-income children. The failure of children from low-income families to excel in public schools has…

Why so many Latino students drop out of schools is considered from the perspective that much of the literature on this problem is inadequate because it ignores the experiences of Latino youth at home, in school, and in the community, and attempts to explain the failure of the educational system in terms of just one area. Interviews were conducted…

Progress in civil rights for black Americans does not appear to have been matched, at least in recent years, by equal progress in social harmony. It is argued that a considerable part of present racial difficulties are the result of commonly expressed understandings that are deeply flawed and that these flaws can be corrected only if social…

Discussions about rural children at risk of school failure require careful consideration of the economic and cultural contexts in which disadvantaged rural children live. These contexts frequently differ from those found in metropolitan areas. A literature review discusses: (1) images and realities of rural America today; (2) poverty and…

This monograph brings together what has been learned over the past few decades about children at risk, as it analyzes current strategies designed to improve student and school performance and proposes ways of achieving academic excellence with high reliability. Section 1, "Becoming at Risk of Failure in America's Schools," integrates…

This document consists of ten consecutive issues of the serial "Rural Trends and Conditions," extending from Spring 1995 through February 1999. Issues contain information and statistical data on rural economic and social conditions. Beginning with the Fall 1995 issue, issues exhibit repeating themes such as "Financial…

The University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children evaluated the progress of the Making the Most of Out-of-School Time (MOST) Initiative in Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. MOST's goals are to improve the supply, accessibility, affordability and quality of school-age care, especially for low-income children; and to strengthen the overall…

This report presents the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the National Commission on Children. The report is prefaced by a statement by the commission chairman, Senator John D. Rockefeller, and an executive summary. The first part of the report discusses issues relating to the development of a national policy on children and families.…

A major study of mathematics and literacy instruction in schools that serve children of poverty is currently being conducted to determine more effective educational practices. The following principal questions are addressed: (1) what new approaches are being attempted in schools serving children of poverty; (2) which of these approaches hold…

This volume is based on papers presented at a conference of social policy experts that looked at the growth in lone-parent families, the problems that have emerged, and their policy implications. Chapter 1 is an "Overview" (Duskin). Three chapters look at demographic trends over time and over the life-cycle; they are: "Demographic…

During the last century, groups of Hmong people moved from southern China into Indochina, and, as war refugees, about 90,000 have come to the United States in recent years. This book examines the alienation and cultural conflicts faced at school by the children of a small group of Hmong (roughly 426 individuals in 90 households) who have settled…

Today, school personnel are facing many challenges in their efforts to serve diverse families and children with disabilities. Inadequate human and fiscal capacity, attitudinal and cultural barriers are among the many hurdles that must be surmounted for successful provision of related services. Decisions about who is educated versus who is…

This report is a publication of the Hispanic Community Mobilization for Dropout Prevention (HCMDP) project, a two-year demonstration program of the ASPIRA Association, Inc. Institute for Policy Research. The project's goals are to create Hispanic community awareness of the Hispanic students' educational problems, and to provide Hispanic parents…

This document contains the results of a study of the responsiveness of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) to the training and employment needs of homeless people. The first part contains recommendations to the president, the Congress, and the employment and training community on policies and practices concerning the homeless and employment…

Women of all ages continue to enter the work force in greater numbers while the work force participation rate for males is declining. Women are disproportionately concentrated in low-paying, dead-end jobs. Employment discrimination continues to be a significant problem. Job interruptions necessitated by family responsibilities are a major factor…