Considers the role of social welfare and public assistance policies in the promotion of African American family life. Examines race, sex, and age demographics as predictors of poverty in the United States. Reviews the history of social programming and public family assistance, including intervention assumptions and demographic characteristics that…

Presents a model that combines patient medical history and physical examination as a risk-assessment model for gang violence risk and as a tool in promoting violence prevention. The paper explains the evaluation methodology and criteria and offers examples of questioning techniques designed to obtain assessment information. (GR)

Current mathematics reform policy conflicts with the political and social dilemmas facing math teachers in urban schools: math course tracking, fiscal inequities, and failure of traditional assessment to meet the needs of underserved children. Policy decisions must be based on an expansive view of equality. (SK)

In this essay, the star of "Captain Kangaroo" points out that more than 20 percent of America's children live below the poverty line. School boards, administrators, and teachers need to make a commitment to address the needs of the whole child. Schools have an opportunity to play a critical role in saving our children. (MLF)

Includes "Research and Development: An Overview"; "Toward a Focused Research Agenda" (Kirst); "Educational Equivalent of War" (Usdan); "Essential Federal Role" (Ambach); "New American Schools"; "Scapegoating the Schools" (Kaplan); "Federal Funding"; "Educating the New…

Abandoning conventional assumptions about skills hierarchies leads to a new set of curricular principles focusing on complex, meaningful problems, embedding basic skills instruction within more global tasks, and connecting instruction to students' experience and culture. Teachers can then model powerful thinking strategies, encourage multiple…

Describes experiences working with a troubled, low-ability 13-year-old. Over the course of a year the teacher tries to help the student develop her language-arts skills while striving to reach and understand this underprivileged child's life experiences. (MKA)

Exposes two groups of adults in vocational-education training programs to two different programs (Logo-Educability exercises and Logical Reasoning Workshops) designed to improve their cognitive skills. Argues that low improvement scores for both groups demonstrate the inefficacy of the programs in helping students transfer learned cognitive skills…

Explores role of public education in democracy; addresses questions of who should be educated and which individuals have the right to a comprehensive education. Argues that every individual in a democratic society has the right to a comprehensive education, and that society itself will benefit from the contributions of well-educated citizenry.…

Originally published in October 1963, examines student personnel workers' responsibilities for the equal education opportunity for all students. Presents information for the college student personnel and sets forth socio-psychological considerations for the understanding of the personal and social needs of disadvantaged youth in the student…

Since its inception in 1992, the University of the North's, Science Foundation Year (UNIFY) Programme has provided access to higher education to over 1500 previously disadvantaged students. However, there has always been doubt about whether the concept of a foundation programme is a worthwhile endeavour. To date, government has not yet fully…

This article provides an overview of educational reform efforts that have been targeted toward assisting homeless students. The authors first review some of the difficulties and barriers that confront homeless children in terms of school access and academic success. The authors then examine four different types of educational reforms for homeless…

Gifted students in our nation's schools are being denied needed services because enrollment of underserved minorities in special classes is typically disproportionate. This disproportionality is a direct result of long-standing social inequities and the consequences of poverty. We are punishing the innocent for the sins of a society that has been…

This paper presents the final analysis of a mixed methodological study of participatory action research (PAR) as professional development. The participants were administrators and teachers studying extreme educational disadvantage caused by homeless and transient living conditions. Two questions are answered: 1. What was the experience of…

The people at Inverness Research Associates spent 12 years studying Community Science Workshops (CSW) in California and in six other states. They gathered statistics on the scale, scope, and cost-efficiency of CSW services to youth. They observed youth at work in the shops--taking apart computers, repairing bikes, growing plants, and so on--and…