This article includes excerpts from case studies of at-risk students. It discusses the basic conditions associated with being "at-risk," the high prevalence of at-risk students in rural areas, and the relationship of this phenomena to social structural changes, particularly in the rural United States. Necessary policy and social responses are…

The report identifies and describes trends characterizing Hispanics' economic situation in the 1980s. It also analyzes the most significant contributions to these trends, and their public policy implications. The following trends are discussed: (1) stagnating income levels and continued high poverty; (2) high proportions of impoverished children;…

This issue of the Courier contains articles loosely connected to each other by the underlying theme of developing people's capacity to improve the quality of their lives. The following articles are included: "Development of Human Resources--A Basic Needs Approach," by Mohiuddin Ahmad; "Rural Poverty," by the United Nations Food…

This survey assesses the status of homelessness among families in cities. The data were collected from city officials during April 1987. The findings include the following: (1) the number of homeless families increased by 31 percent during the last two years; (2) families represented one-third of the homeless and a single parent headed two-thirds…

Poverty data released by the U. S. Census Bureau indicates no significant progress toward reducing the poverty rate during a period of economic recovery. The 1986 poverty rate of 13.6 percent remains significantly higher than anytime in the 1970s. Minority group children represent the largest age group of the poverty population. The sluggish…

Intended for people in government and other agencies who make decisions on policy or on funding for literacy, this short report of an international seminar on literacy summarizes seminar themes. The first topic considered is the rationale for investment in education. The connection between literacy and national development is stressed, and three…

An elementary school principal's successful attempts to improve her inner-city school are described in this case study, which includes a diagram representing her formula for better education. The principal, a charismatic, elderly woman, takes an aggressive role in improving the school environment and student nutrition, encouraging and monitoring…

The purpose of this study was to find out why a significant percentage of students drop out of the Nigerian school system every year. While statistics for dropouts in developed countries are based on those who fail to continue with their secondary education, dropouts in developing nations like Nigeria are counted as the number that dropped out of…

The historical development and future goals of a UNESCO project to establish a network of educational systems throughout Central America are described. In 1975, the project began to search for solutions to social, economic, and educational development problems in the region. Objectives of the project are to conduct a critical analysis of the…

This paper examines and questions popular ideas about education and its relationship to the economic well-being of individuals, communities, regions, and the nation. It suggests that the criteria used to develop economic and educational strategies have produced mixed results at best, especially in rural areas. Since family income is related to…

This report uses longitudinal data to provide a dynamic picture of the family income experiences of children and the elderly. In contrast to the image of fairly stable incomes during most life-cycle stages, findings show substantial income volatility at all points in the life span, placing substantial numbers of the population at risk of suffering…

Activities conducted during the calendar year 1985 by the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families focused on (1) Alcohol Abuse and Its Implications for Families; (2) Families with Disabled Children: Issues for the 80s; (3) Tax Policy: What Do Families Need? (4) Prevention of Alcohol Abuse in American Families; (5) Emerging Trends in…

This document is a transcript of a Congressional hearing on the economic status of women held by the Joint Economic Committee on February 3, 1982. Witnesses who testified at the hearing included Representatives Reuss, Richmond, Heckler, Wylie and Schroeder, Senators Jepsen and Kassenbaum, and a number of women active in women's equality programs.…

Both Mexican American and Anglo students in four Corpus Christi (Texas) high schools seek membership in various subcultures according to which one recognizes them as being socially competent and respectable human beings. Data consist of life history interviews, observations, and questionnaire responses from over 600 youth. Mexican American…

This study examined how the socioeconomic characteristics of male workers from poverty areas in Saint Louis, Missouri, San Antonio, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, affect their incomes, hours of employment, unemployment, and labor force participation. The research was based on statistical analysis, using an interaction model, of data from the 1970…