Effectiveness of a three-phase program to provide inner-city high school freshmen with skills to enhance self-perception and exercise greater control over their lives (particularly sexual behavior) was tested. Pretesting and posttesting indicated a significant decrease in frequency of sexual activity and increase in contraception use by program…

Uses medical data (medical history and physical examination) on samples of 245 delinquent and 160 homeless youths in San Francisco (California) to discuss health needs of this population. The article reveals that a substantial number of these youth did not have adequate health care coverage despite considerable medical problems compared to the…

Schools may not be the best sites for early field experiences of preservice teachers just beginning to work with culturally different children. The paper examines factors limiting public schools' potential as sites, describes an alternative nonschool setting, and analyzes conditions that make the setting better for developing culturally responsive…

The relative importance of social background and ethnic origin in explaining differences in position of immigrants and native Dutch students in the educational system in the Netherlands is studied using data from a study of 19,524 first-year secondary students evaluating the national educational priority policy program and its classification of…

Raises the issue of recognizing the diversity of poor women in psychological research, focusing on the need to disentangle ethnicity and class and the limitations of adopting a middle-class white perspective. Possible causes of exclusion in addition to racism and suggestions for achieving feminist goals are considered. (SLD)

Answers questions about young people in Puerto Rico, drawing on governmental databases. Demographic characteristics and how young people fit into the social structure are described. A description of the physical and mental health of this population presents data on mortality, morbidity, adolescent pregnancy, and drug and alcohol use. (SLD)

Outlines issues that socially and economically disadvantaged urban students may face (student jobs, family problems, home factors, feelings of inadequacy, and financial factors) that may contribute to their lack of preparation and interest in school. Offers some humanistic strategies for effectively managing urban secondary classrooms, and notes…

Minorities constitute an increasing proportion of the population, particularly among children and younger working-age adults. In rural areas, the minority population is small overall but highly concentrated in certain areas; includes a high proportion of children; and is characterized by low education and employment levels. Education and…

Examines the effects of poverty on parenting, noting the work of the Kennedy Center at Peabody College and discussing parenting as a process, how parents are influenced by poverty, how parenting in poverty influences children's development, how children are directly and indirectly influenced by poverty, and factors that mediate the debilitating…

Investigated whether low-income mothers learned to interact with their preschoolers in ways that fostered narrative skills. Mothers of intervention children were encouraged to elicit questions, encourage longer narratives, and participate in narrative conversation. Assessment of children's pre- and post-intervention narrative and vocabulary skills…

Discusses dental schools' role in meeting oral-health needs of populations that lack access to care, and describes a Columbia University (New York) program providing dental-health services in Central Harlem. The program provides screening and prevention for school children, improves access to care for the entire population, and creates…

Despite the profession's historic commitment to poor people, little advanced social work practice is reported in work-enhancement programs. Outlines employment-related needs among poor people in the context of economic and policy change. Discusses successful work programs. (Author/JDM)

Critically examines recent market-oriented educational reforms in Ontario and their impact on socially disadvantaged groups. Argues that current trends lead toward a "marketization" of education in Ontario, as the rhetoric of cost-effectiveness and bureaucratic efficiency shifts the official agenda of educational reform away from equity…

Notes that early childhood intervention is receiving renewed national attention and presents highlights of the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) program. Notes that the center-based CPC features a structured and diverse set of language-based instructional activities, lower than average child-to-teacher ratios, multifaceted parent participation…

This report provided the U.S. District Court hearing the Liddell case about school desegregation in St. Louis (Missouri) in 1996 with a review of research on promising programs, reform designs, and school components that have been found to support or enhance achievement among historically disadvantaged students. Specific steps are proposed to…