In December 1989, the school district in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Research for Better Schools, Inc., with the support of the Pennsylvania State Department of Education, initiated a collaborative 2-year study of the district's Chapter 1 schoolwide projects. This report presents findings from the study of Taylor Elementary School (currently…

Increasing numbers of children begin formal schooling without the requisite skills or abilities to succeed, most often due to deficiencies in language and emotional maturity. This study sought to identify potential precursors to later kindergarten difficulties that would suggest specific areas needing further study and support. Study participants…

This report describes how a longitudinal study was conducted, which examined 1,235 at-risk sixth-grade students (95 percent Black and 5 percent Hispanic) in the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools and their schools and families. The longitudinal study traced the children's patterns of school adjustment since their enrollment in government-funded…

This report presents an approach to welfare reform using the welfare-to-work programs possible under the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) portion of the Family Support Act. The document describes how state and local governments can design and implement two-generation interventions that combine services to help parents achieve…

A project was designed to improve communication between health professionals and patients with low literacy levels. A survey was sent to over 600 health professionals to identify their awareness of undereducated adults, determine priorities in patient communication, and collect a sample of current educational materials; 132 surveys were returned.…

Founded by Don Bosco in 1859 in Turin, Italy, the Salesian Society helps disadvantaged youth in over 100 countries, according to 1991 data. Salesians operate technical training institutes and run numerous informal shops and training courses within their schools, orphanages, street children shelters, and youth centers. The institutes are financed…

In order to document the economic, social, educational, and emotional status and physical well-being of children in West Virginia, this databook provides national and state profiles, a separate minority profile, and 55 county profiles. For the state and each county, 10-year (1980-90) trend data are presented for 12 indicators: child abuse/neglect…

This directory identifies 83 national and regional organizations with major programs focused specifically on young adolescents and/or schools serving the middle school grades. The programs listed have been designed to encourage and support schools to better serve these youths. The directory entry lists each program's name, address, phone number,…

This document is a "theme" issue of a quarterly serial publication. It focuses on identifying and serving gifted children from diverse populations. The first article, "Eliminating Four Barriers to the Identification of Gifted Minority Students" by Mary Frasier, notes that: (1) not every impoverished home is illiterate; (2) limited opportunities…

This guide is designed for use by instructors and tutors at the M. L. Sultan Technikon (South Africa) for teaching students of English as a Second Language or students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. It provides assistance in teaching academic language and study skills in the context of course content. The underlying philosophy is…

This paper reports on the findings of an evaluation of Project Giant Step, a program funded by New York City to provide comprehensive services to all 4-year-olds in the city, beginning with low-income children who are unserved by existing programs. Both the costs and effects of Project Giant Step are examined. Effects of the program on children…

A study focused on formal and informal linkages between industry and education that were supportive of structured work-based learning at three transition points: entry, dislocation, and upgrade. During 1990, site visits were made to 10 school-to-work, 1 dislocated worker, and 4 career advancement programs. Study methodology included informal…

This paper summarizes results of a hearing by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in Atlanta, Georgia, on the delivery and disposition of higher education student financial assistance funds. Seventeen individuals offered testimony. They included representatives of guarantee agencies, the lending community, the financial aid…

This paper explores the recent two decades of school reform efforts and focuses on application of the Effective Schools movement's ideas in urban, economically depressed communities. Five common characteristics of effective schools are teacher and other staff who believe that all children can learn; safe, orderly, and work-oriented environments;…

Many have regarded the recent civil disturbances in Los Angeles (California) as a wake-up call, a warning that the deterioration of America's cities, education systems, and public services, and the continuing decline of the underclass may result in a race war that could destroy society. The wake-up call is directed primarily at middle-class black…