Examines and evaluates three approaches used by community colleges to provide academic assistance to educationally underprepared students: offering compensatory programs and services as electives; requiring certain students to participate in skills courses; and offering basic skills instruction as part of regular courses. (DMM)

Describes a team effort to assist sophomore students in career planning. The Career Awareness Program uses the cooperative skills of counselors, special educators, and cooperative work experience coordinators. It focuses on the needs of educationally disadvantaged students. A majority of students reported positive changes and improved motivation.…

Swedish longitudinal studies of twins support Scarr-Salapatek's explanation of nature-nurture influences on intelligence. This model predicts more genetic variance in test results for advantaged than disadvantaged groups. Jensen's work, however, suggests equal amounts of variance among different social classes. (Author/CP)

The effects of the changing nature of intelligence test items during the follow-up period for compensatory education program evaluations on the judgments about program effectiveness are examined. Data from the Stanford-Binet and from three compensatory education evaluations, are examined. Methods for dealing with differential validity are…

Explains how community-based organizations (CBOs) have become increasingly ineffective in fighting unemployment and how the role of such organizations has become that of watchdog for CETA activities since that 1973 legislation. Details the current conflicts between SER, CETA, and local government in Houston, Texas. (SB)

Educationally disadvantaged college students who were enrolled in an experimental sociology course section did not have significantly different test performance than nonparticipating disadvantaged. Results indicated that significant improvement could be expected of disadvantaged students if they were admitted with a high Scholastic Aptitude…

The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Meaning and Value of Work Scale were administered to a sample of disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged, male and female, eleventh grade students in Kansas City, Missouri, to investigate the extent to which students' perception of self and work differed. Study results were displayed and discussed. (MF)

Describes the College Board's Pacesetter Program, high school courses developed using principles of ongoing performance testing and portfolios, standards, and curriculum. The model is illustrated in a description of the Voices of Modern Culture language arts course. Argues that this assessment process has systemic validity and is more relevant to…

The Young Scholars Program at The Ohio State University is a 6-year pre-collegiate intervention program designed to prepare academically talented, economically disadvantaged minority students for college education. This study describes the success of this effort to reshape the traditional presentation of agriculture. (Author/DKM)

Describes how some schools are using funding from Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 to apply technology in the schools. Reviews specific requirements for allocating funds in targeted assistance and schoolwide program schools. (SLD)

Discusses adequacy and equity in school finance and efficiency in school operation, and recommends ways to improve all three. The ultimate responsibility lies at the state level. State policies and financing mechanisms must hold educators accountable while addressing challenges that are especially great for schools in high-poverty areas or for…

Argues that the purported decline in public education is exaggerated and the accomplishments of public education neglected. Offers favorable evidence on student achievement and minority-majority comparisons, and suggests that recent trends in educational expenditures, class size, and curricular patterns should boost achievement. Addresses…

Provides a history of youthful offenders and society's efforts at rehabilitation and punishment. Traces the development of correctional institutions from their early days in England to the current efforts involving intervention and prevention. Includes photographs, historical and contemporary statistics, and tabular data. (MJP)

Examines the socioeconomic, cultural, and familial factors that influenced 14 working-poor mothers' decisions regarding child care. Summarizes the paths the women followed over a three-year period, including sources that informed their choice of child care, reactions to their care providers, and reasons for withdrawing from the arrangements. (MJP)

Describes an elementary social studies class that studied children of the Great Depression in order to create empathy with people of different eras. The class used journal writing, mural painting, and poetry writing to consider the physical and psychological hardships experienced by Depression-era children. (MJP)