Outlined is the content of a consumer education course for low income and educable developmentally disabled adults. The program is divided into four concept areas (lesson topics are in parentheses): decision making (values and goals, and needs and wants); money management (values of money, the budget or spending plan, and the savings plan); wise…

The author focuses on the school's role in the lives of children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The article deals with the role of education (1) as a means of upward mobility for lower class families; (2) in developing the self-concept of poor children; and, (3) in socializing the child to cope with life outside the school. (Author/HMV)

A survey of current and proposed government policies and programs for families and children. (BRT)

While the principles of progressive taxation and the welfare state have come to be almost universally accepted, it would be a serious error to infer that American policy has ever embraced the idea of income redistribution. (Author)

The Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program of the City University of New York provides special services to economically disadvantaged students. Graduation data for SEEK students are compared to those for students who were eligible for SEEK, denied admission by random procedures, and entered the college anyway. (Author/GDC)

A study undertaken by the American Orthopsychiatric Association concludes that the Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Program as currently constituted, cannot adequately meet the urgent developmental needs of the poor children it is meant to serve. (Author/CL)

A study of five local programs in different states is said to indicate that EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment--a federal program to diagnose and remediate developmental problems in Medicaid-eligible children) is ineffective in identifying, referring and treating children with developmental problems. (CL)

Discusses the distinctive features of the University of Oregon's Direct Instruction Model program, designed for disadvantaged youngsters--its underlying assumptions and basic teaching components. Explores the implications of teaching reading and language skills to economically disadvantaged children and advocates vocabulary instruction be taught…

Describes Dolci's most recent project, an experimental school for children of the peasant community in Partinico, in western Sicily. In no other place in Italy is public education available to children on a full-time basis. (Author/AM)

In a comparison of expressive language in different settings, 20 economically disadvantaged students in a Head Start program were divided into four groups: single-object picture, toy, multi-object picture, and adult-child conversation. (CL)

An intervention study investigated effects of maternal behavior on the cognitive and language functioning of economically disadvantaged four-year-olds (N=40) at risk for mental retardation. Mothers who increased inductive, responsive, and complex behavior and mothers who increased only inductive and responsive behavior both effectively increased…

Describes three approaches to combatting the high illiteracy rates among adults: (1) working early with children who are poor readers or nonreaders, (2) improving adult literacy programs, and (3) training adult educators to teach lifelong learning along with reading skills. (CH)

Considers the research base and political forces guiding the direction of the movement toward enrolling four-year-olds in academic programs: (1) remedial intervention programs for economically disadvantaged children; (2) need for change in decaying school programs; and (3) the urgent need for increased day care services. (Author/LHW)

Discusses developing adequate educational opportunities for culturally disadvantaged, gifted students. Addresses questions of how these students can be effectively identified; what constitutes a high quality educational program for the students; what inhibiting factors must be addressed in providing education of high quality; and how to bridge the…

Faults Lawrence J. Schweinhart and David P. Weikert's article in this "Educational Leadership" issue for concluding that disadvantaged preschoolers taught by direct instruction have twice the teenage delinquency rate of children experiencing the High/Scope program. Accuses the authors of exaggerating statistical differences, research…