Effective instructional practices are crucial to addressing the educational crisis facing many Hispanic students in the United States. The number of Hispanic students attending public schools has increased dramatically in recent decades, yet Hispanic students as a group have the lowest levels of education and the highest dropout rate of any…

This statistical brief provides a follow-up assessment of the changing demographic and economic landscape of the Midwest between 1980 and 1990. Latino population growth in the Midwest during the 1980s was modest, but since the region's other groups experienced minimal or negative growth, Latino growth accounted for over half the Midwest's total…

The distribution of regulated child care within and between Maryland and Illinois was studied. "Regulated" means all center-based and regulated family child care in the two states. Census data have been linked with child care supply data available from the statewide child care resource and referral networks. It has not been possible to…

This paper presents national data on the extent to which public secondary students are taught core academics by teachers without basic qualifications in their assigned teaching fields, examining whether there are inequalities in the distribution of adequately qualified teachers across and within different U.S. schools. Data came from the 1990-1991…

In response to the National Education Goals panel's recognition of the role that parents can have in children's learning and school performance, the "Survey on Family and School Partnerships in Public Schools K-8" was conducted to determine the ways schools are engaging parents in their children's education and the extent to which…

This survey of child care administrators from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted by the Children's Defense Fund, examined the adequacy of federal and state funding for child care and state child care policies. Data were collected by means of phone interviews and verified with administrators following collection. The findings…

As the preschool and early years of schooling were becoming the focus of increasing attention, the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department commissioned a review of United Kingdom and international literature on the use of early intervention schemes for disadvantaged students. The resulting review presents evidence on the most appropriate…

This comprehensive report shows how hunger is interrelated with other social ills, including powerlessness, violence, poverty, environmental destruction, and discrimination. More than a billion people are too poor to afford an adequate diet and other essential of life such as health care, housing, sanitation, safe water, and education. In the…

This document is an interactive, intergenerational guide designed to help organize group or individual study of "Causes of Hunger." The guide includes activities, worship aids, Bible studies, and a resource list--all adapted for classes, weekend retreats, and evening meetings. The guide is divided into nine sessions to be used with a variety of…

This paper discusses the nature and availability of early childhood care and education in Illinois and advances recommendations to improve the current system. It argues that current multiple federal, state, and local funding streams, with different eligibility requirements and administrations, divide families and programs into artificial and…

This report examines the serious and worsening problems of teacher staffing in the Philadelphia School District. Staff turnovers are high, teaching applications are down, and reliance on emergency certified teachers is up. Barriers to attracting and keeping good teachers include low salaries, more stringent state certification requirements, and…

In December 1999, approximately 50 researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and other specialists in the field of fathers and families convened the Father Poverty and Social Vulnerability Roundtable. This report synthesizes the discussion of the themes of the roundtable and their implications for policymaking, the directions they indicate for…

Although the United States has seen a record influx of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children into the foster care system in the past decade, there has not been an accompanying shift in policy or practice to attend to the developmental issues these younger children bring to child welfare. This textbook addresses the spectrum of child…

The correlation between a noncustodial father and child poverty suggests that father involvement and support are critical pieces of the puzzle for reducing child poverty. Regular child support provides an income supplement to families leaving welfare and can prevent families' initial descent into poverty. This issue brief is intended to introduce…

This paper presents findings from the 1998 Working Conference on Mathematics Teaching and Learning in Poor Communities, which examined evidence of effective mathematics education in impoverished communities. The task force highlighted aspects of interventions that were critical to success or failure and examined reform in relation to: student…