As part of its program for 1981-83, Unesco convened a study group meeting on new forms of early childhood education. Participants from Afghanistan, China, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as well as observers from India, UNICEF, and UNHCR, met to share experiences regarding programs for children from disadvantaged environments and to…

Changes in social and economic characteristics of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area residents from 1970-80 are documented and compared with characteristics of the 1960s. Rural growth and change and rural-urban differences are emphasized in data on population, family, education, labor force, employment, income, poverty, and housing. All basic…

This report examines how periods of poverty affect children's educational attainment. Educational attainment is measured by whether a student is at or behind the modal grade level expected for each given age. A cross-tabular analysis was performed on a sample of 16-, 17- and 18-year-old children who were in high school at some point during the…

This report proposes amendments to H.R. 4421, a bill that authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 1987 to 1990 to carry out the following programs: (1) Head Start, for disadvantaged preschoolers; (2) Follow Through, for disadvantaged elementary school students; (3) State Grants for Dependent Care, for child care programs; (4) Community Services…

This planning paper offers background information and recommendations for the establishment of a research center for the study of educating the disadvantaged. It is based on a seminar comprised of educational researchers held to consider how low achieving students can best be helped. The research agenda for such a center should consider the…

This paper argues for two major changes in the selection of students and in the way that services are delivered under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. The first change would make available Chapter 1 funds only to schools with very high proportions of children whose families live in poverty. The second change…

This fact sheet provides an overview of rural schools, people, and labor markets to help vocational educators better understand the needs of rural Americans. It is based on "A Portrait of Rural America: Conditions Affecting Vocational Education Policy" (Rosenfeld 1981). Data is presented on population trends, poverty, employment…

Fortunate in being located on a highway and in having electricity and a convenient water supply, the village of Sangma, India, is populated mainly by very low-income families struggling for existence. Most adults living in Sangma are away from home at work most of the day; due to the fragmentation of the joint family system, young children are…

Economic, legal, and socialization structures have emerged in response to the demands of the U.S. economic system and those whose job it is to protect and promote the interests of the current dominating classes and structures in our society. These structures contribute to the socially dysfunctional behavior of groups who are inadequately prepared…

This testimony, from welfare reform hearings in New York City, was given before the Senate Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy. The hearings were held to gather information for new regulations regarding public monies for child support. The Senate is considering whether to reform the present welfare system or to replace it with a new…

A source of demographic data concerning the status of women in Delaware, this document includes multiple charts, graphs, and statistical information concerning women in the areas of (1) population characteristics, (2) marital status and living arrangements, (3) labor force participation, and (4) income and earnings. Included are data for the…

Data from the 1986 Current Population Survey (March Supplement) indentified characteristics of working heads of poor families that might assist policymakers involved in alleviating nonmetro poverty (in 1985, 18.3% of persons living in nonmetro areas were poor compared to 12.7% of persons living in metro areas). Comparing the South (a 17-state…

Designed to help U.S. citizens become aware of the needs of people living in developing countries, this puppet project is an action oriented education program implemented by the International Service Association for Health, Inc. (INSA). The program's primary purpose is to inform citizens about global concerns and issues while enlisting public…

This study analyzes various measures of economic well-being to establish how these may have changed over time. It concludes that while most Americans have experienced progressively higher living standards in recent decades, an underclass group has emerged without the wherewithal to support itself or improve its economic situation. Government…

Americans aged 60 years and older now represent the largest age cohort of functional illiterates. Educational systems have not adequately addressed the needs of this group. Many older Americans, for whom English is a second language, need instruction in both English and basic literacy skills. Many older adults living at or near poverty levels have…