This book presents recent research findings on different aspects of multicultural education, informing teachers of the issues, policies, and new approaches prevalent around the world. The ten chapters are: (1) "Multicultural Education: History, Issues, and Practices" (Farideh Salili and Rumjahn Hoosain); (2) "Cooperative Learning…

This paper reports the findings of a 2-year project based in the UK, which examined the perceptions and beliefs of disenfranchised pupils, their parents, school practitioners, and educational professionals about the causes and dynamics of disaffection from school. The study employed mainly qualitative methods (interviews and focus groups) to look…

In 2000, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), in cooperation with local development districts, nonprofit organizations, and many small municipalities, expanded programs to help Appalachia's distressed counties become economically competitive. The effort calls for increased funding for technical assistance and capacity building in distressed…

To generate information that would help rural schools take advantage of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, 47 principals of rural schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were interviewed via telephone. The schools fell into two categories: schools that applied but were not funded through the CSRD…

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 authorized a comprehensive workforce improvement program that will significantly impact rural areas. Local schools can help shape implementation of WIA because of its principles of local participation, increased skills for workers, and improved youth programs. This digest focuses on WIA's major elements,…

This collection of papers on early adolescent sexual behavior includes seven papers in two parts. Part 1, "Papers from Nationally Representative Data Sets," includes (1) "Dating and Sexual Experiences among Middle School Youth: Analyses of the NLSY97" (Elizabeth Terry-Humen and Jennifer Manlove); "(2) "Dating Behavior…

A review of the literature suggested that African-American and minority students bring a diverse culture to "traditional" college life. As a result, many institutions of higher learning designed their student services, student support programs, curricular and extracurricular to meet the special nature and needs of its minority student population.…

This paper reports on a study of the relationship between teacher evaluation scores in a school implementing knowledge- and skills-based pay and classroom student achievement. The study occurred in a California charter elementary school that was 100 percent Title I, 100 percent free/reduced lunch, and had predominantly limited English speaking…

This edition focuses on the topic of closing the achievement gap from the perspectives of urban and suburban school districts. After an introduction by Judy Stewart, the first article, "Addressing Racial Disparities in High-Achieving Suburban Schools" (Ronald F. Ferguson), shares findings from a recent survey of more than 34,000 students…

This paper provides an overview of demographic and educational attainment data on Latinos in Ventura County, California, and describes an ongoing initiative to increase Latino college attendance through improved K-12 preparation and family involvement. In both its urban and rural areas, Ventura County harbors large Latino populations who are…

This report describes the University of California's (UC's) experience developing and implementing race-neutral undergraduate admissions and outreach policies and programs from 1995-2002. UC's experience indicates that in highly selective institutions, implementing race neutral policies leads to substantial declines in the proportion of entering…

This brief explores the pros and cons of three alternative approaches to college admissions policies: race-based preferences, which are backed by most Democrats; class-rank plans (admitting the top students in each high school), which is backed by the Bush administration; and economic affirmative action for the disadvantaged of all races, which…

Sectoral employment training programs attempt to provide disadvantaged people with good jobs that pay living wages and offer opportunities for advancement, using innovative approaches to employment training and interacting with industries to create systemic change in labor markets. The Sectoral Employment Development Learning Project (SEDLP) is a…

A national study estimated the short-term impacts of Job Corps (JC) on participants' employment and related outcomes during the 30 months after random assignment. Results for the short-term impact analysis were based on a comparison of eligible program participants randomly assigned to a program group (n=9,409) or a control group (n=5,977) that…

Some of the reasons for the overrepresentation of minority students in special education programs are reviewed from historical and contemporary perspectives, and the effects of this overrepresentation and some of the proposals to eliminate, or at least remedy, this situation are examined. In the 1960s, many people rejected the genetic explanations…