The most educationally disadvantaged population in the United States resides in our nation's prisons. Incarcerated adults have among the lowest academic skill levels and highest disability and illiteracy rates of any segment of our society--factors that likely contributed to their imprisonment. Upon completing their sentence, most inmates re-enter…

A new South African testing approach designed to assess potential university students' ability to cope with English-medium academic education is also designed to take into account the effects of educational disadvantagement and minimize reliance on students' content-based secondary school experiences. The approach incorporates principles from…

Examines the role of early-education research in addressing issues of educational disadvantage and inequality, particularly in light of 1990s politics, which emphasizes the marketplace metaphor. Discusses the culture of achievement and failure, effects of disadvantaged background on young children's understanding of the learning task, teacher…

A 3-year study in Toronto (Ontario) schools examined educational practices that engender exclusion or inclusion, especially of racially marginalized groups. Findings suggest that an inclusive learning environment introduces topics of race, critically examines cultural stereotypes, has high expectations for minority students, encourages…

Clarifies the concept of universal basic education. Highlights the need for performance criteria and ways to measure literacy attainment. Identifies issues related to improving primary education, seeing adult literacy as its necessary complement. Underscores the substantial resources required to achieve universal basic education. (CH)

Describes a program in which students earn high school credits using a high tech/high touch classroom and learning basic skills and having successful learning experiences. Discusses the groundwork of the program, credit towards graduation, staffing, funding, student selection, and establishing the system. Students have a high return rate. (MVL)

Poor and minority children, who make up nearly a quarter of American youth, have not been benefited by the educational reform movement. Their needs can be better met through the following means: (1) the reassertion of the family's role in schooling; (2) closer school-community ties; and (3) community schools and community outreach programs. (AF)

Discusses methods for using computers to help reduce the drop-out rate. Describes several different programs. Indicates that restructuring the school, early intervention, and parent involvement are key factors towards success. (MVL)

Identifies the current sociodemographic characteristics of educationally disadvantaged youth, and projects the changes in the disadvantaged population between 1986 and 2020. Discusses the need for increased resources and new methods of service delivery to meet the educational needs of the group. (FMW)

Describes goals, beneficiaries, offerings, locations, and providers of six current school-linked service efforts. Identifies several integrating elements needed for systemic reforms to make school-linked services produce more successful outcomes for children and families. Programmatic initiatives must complement deep-reaching changes in ways…

Studies ethnic differences in parent involvement and ways to increase involvement of low-income parents. Interviews with 83 parents (51 identified as Latino) of 83 students indicated parent attitudes. An intervention with 58 families of 119 kindergarten and first grade students resulted in greater participation than for 61 control families. (SLD)

Describes initiatives undertaken by the Job Corps in recent years to improve the educational abilities of the enrollees served, and reports results of various research efforts to examine the effectiveness of some of these initiatives. Evidence suggests that Job Corps initiatives have improved basic skills of students. (SLD)

This paper describes a curriculum provided to homeless high school students in San Francisco. The curriculum is delivered at a community-based organization already serving the homeless rather than in the schools and features spontaneous symposiums, scheduled symposiums, independent learning, private and small group instruction in basic academic…

How one sample of teachers who were uncommonly successful with at-risk students achieved their results was studied. Six minority (African American and Asian American) and six nonminority successful teachers in a large urban school district were interviewed about their practices. Implications of the variety of strategies used are discussed. (SLD)

Development of state leadership in implementing the quality mandate of Chapter 1 supplementary education programs is traced up to the 1988 Hawkins Stafford Act, which added procedural and accountability requirements. Challenges that states now face in the program improvement processes are described. (SLD)