Two introductory speeches suggest the general social and interracial climate in the United States. It is against this backdrop that Project Inspire is described. Its purpose is the development of a vocational guidance component within the broader school curriculum. Its major objective is elevating the awareness level of students to the work world…

This is an interim report for the period January 1, 1972 through December 31, 1972 of a project designed to develop a comprehensive program of vocational education in a rural school system located in an economically depressed area. The exemplary project design provided for four major areas: (1) career awareness in grades 1-6, (2) career…

About 25.6 million persons were below the low-income level in 1971, according to the results of the Current Population Survey conducted in March, 1972, by the Bureau of the Census. The sex of the family head continues to be an important factor in the poverty status of families. Families with a female head in 1971 accounted for only 12 percent of…

This economic course of study for twelfth grade presents an extensive variety of teaching/learning activities. Many of the readings, pictures, charts, cartoons, and tables are selected from current and authoritative sources, such as government reports and newspapers. These items are used as a basis for student questions and a variety of student…

A Cooperative Extension Service action program in seven Mississippi counties, utilizing a nonprofessional approach to reach disadvantaged families with educational programs, is reviewed. Subprofessionals were utilized as systemic links between professional adult educators (home economists) and disadvantaged clientele. The report is divided into…

This paper presents a snapshot of concerns in the field of Indigenous education in the late 1960s as compared with those of today, highlighting areas of improvement. Indigenous people's aspirations are not being met and the gaps between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations on all major educational indicators are unacceptably large. These…

Addresses the following questions: (1) what is the effect of the stereotyped characterization of old black women on their well-being; (2) what are the major issues surrounding the social, economic, and health conditions of subgroups of aging black women; and (3) what should be the substantive content of advocatory efforts on their behalf? (BJV)

Market reform, financial decentralization, and economic globalization have greatly accentuated China's social and regional inequalities. Education is expected to address these inequalities in a context of rapid social change, including the rise of an urban middle class, changed status of women, resurgence of ethnic identities, growing rural to…

The prevailing expectation in education today is, "All children can learn." This expectation includes all children, including disadvantaged children and those who come from poverty. Our actions are guided by our expectations. If we believe that all children can learn, then children can learn. If we believe that children cannot learn, then our self…

This study, based on an examination of five improving high-poverty school districts, identified key factors to improving instruction across entire school systems. All of the participating districts had seen a rise in poverty over a decade, had experienced significant changes in ethnic and racial makeup, and had seen increases in the percentage of…

If schools are to respond successfully to increased accountability requirements, they must find ways to address non-cognitive factors that can impede student learning. Findings from a study of school districts along the U.S.-Mexico border show educators grappling with the impact of poverty and poor health on students' readiness to learn. These…

Twenty percent of the children enrolled in rural and small-town schools are non-Caucasian, children of color. As in nonrural schools, rural schools have yet to close the achievement gap across various racial and economic subgroups of this diverse population. Overall, rural students perform as well as or better than their nonrural peers on…

Roma, or "gypsies," are the main poverty risk group in many countries of central and eastern Europe. Living standards for the Roma have deteriorated more severely during the region's transition to a market economy than they have for other population groups, and Roma have been poorly positioned to take advantage of emerging economic and…

Nearly one in three of America's school-age children attend public schools in rural areas or small towns, and more than one in six go to school in the very smallest communities. These children, their schools, and their communities matter, and they deserve more consideration than they get in the national debate over education policy. This report…

Annie E. Casey Jobs Initiative sites recognize the challenge that long-term retention poses in today's labor market for low-income residents. They have developed key elements of an operational definition of retention, including the following: no limitation to one job, but only very limited gaps between jobs; and jobs in construction or other…