This booklet challenges assumptions about the hopelessness of educational reform in urban high schools by presenting the stories of: (1) Theodore Sizer's Coalition of Essential Schools; and (2) Metro High School in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), a school that participates in the Coalition. Following an introduction, the Coalition of Essential Schools…

This booklet examines the plight of homeless families who have children who need special educational services. It explores the magnitude of homelessness among families, provides empirical descriptions of homeless populations, and identifies factors contributing to the rising incidence of homelessness in the United States. Specific effects of…

This 18th annual report to Congress, covering the program year 1989-1990, outlines the status of children with disabilities in Head Start programs. The report states that the program's mandate of having 10 percent or more of the total number of enrollment opportunities in Head Start programs available for handicapped children was met in each state…

The Utah State Office of Education has conducted surveys of homeless shelters throughout Utah for the past 4 years. Data show that, during 1993, 32 shelter providers reported sheltering 4,680 homeless children. Each year, however, the shelter providers report turning away an increasing number of families because of a lack of space. Budget…

This document summarizes the requirements and guidelines for the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP). This program is authorized by Section 787 of the Public Health Service Act to make grants to and contracts with postsecondary institutions to carry out programs which assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter and graduate…

The recent upsurge in persistent urban poverty has been generated by a particular set of American political responses to structural transformation of the global and domestic economies, exacerbated considerably by a long process of highly subsidized suburbanization and racism. Persistent poverty is connected to the following structures and…

Adolescent pregnancy in the Hispanic community warrants attention both because it has been underresearched and because its consequences may be particularly dramatic. In addition to economic disadvantage, Hispanic adolescents in the United States must contend with conflicting messages from two cultures regarding standards of sexuality, timing of…

Spanish Harlem's Community District 4, known as one of New York City's most disadvantaged school districts, has developed a system of alternative educational programs, coupled with controlled parental choice. Having begun in 1974 with the creation of a single alternative elementary school, the system now serves about one-fifth of all elementary…

This report presents a summary of findings resulting from visits to 40 independent neighborhood schools in 1983. Most of the schools consider themselves independent preparatory institutions; most are indigenous to and located in low-income urban areas and serving the academic and social needs of Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian-American…

In an effort to contribute to the dialogue on the need for reform of the nation's fair housing laws and policies, this report describes and evaluates those policies and their impact. The report begins with a discussion of the Federal Government's support for a racially dual housing market prior to 1962 and moves on to describe the beginnings of a…

The workings of the federal government, the educational system and private industry are seen as conspiring against black youth's employment opportunities. This tragedy is forecast to continue until the government shifts from being a partner in exclusion to being an agent of social inclusion. (Author/AM)

The project reported in this paper examined the relationship between the occurrence of otitis media with effusion (OME) during the first 3 years of life, and speech, language, and classroom performance during the school years. Fifty-five high-risk children between the ages of 2.6 and 8 years participated in a speech assessment; 34 high-risk…

This document reports a study that investigated state management of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Title II-A programs and the Wagner-Peyser 10 percent set-aside for program years 1985 and 1986 to identify the most effective and efficient state JTPA management practices. Following an executive summary and introduction, section 1 contains…

The purpose of these hearings was to review the progress in Mississippi of two programs (Star Schools and Chapter 1, both initiated under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) which use technology in order to provide instructional programs for economically disadvantaged students in rural schools. Included are testimonies of administrators…

This paper describes a cooperative project between Pennsylvania State University (Behrend College) and an Erie, Pennsylvania, elementary school which attempted to provide academic enrichment for low-income elementary students, faculty, and staff while providing opportunities for community service to Behrend students, faculty, and staff. The…