India's national adult education program is being planned to bring literacy to its 310 million adult illiterates. The first stage is projected to cover 100 million persons in the 15-35 age group by 1983-84. Problems include motivating institutions and individuals to participate and providing for adequate funding. (MF)

Since disadvantaged students need more than admission to succeed in college, especially in graduate and professional schools, a comprehensive developmental program is needed, with a full system of student support. Suggestions for institutional and state support, and on campus, a decision-making structure and an advisory structure are recommended.…

Describes the success of Capital Partners for Education (CPE), a nonprofit organization that helps at-risk students by providing them with scholarships and mentors, who are mostly urban professionals. CPE targets average students who are failing or likely to drop out. Discusses CPE's activities and its expansion to provide year-round support. (AJL)

Although NAFTA has proven profitable for U.S. growers who have relocated agricultural production to Mexico, it has helped create an economic crisis that has forced thousands of Mexican children to leave school in order to work and supplement their parents' shrinking income. In Mexicali Valley (Baja California), approximately a fourth of the…

Examines the determinants of occupational mobility for a sample of unauthorized Latino men who received temporary residency status under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. Data show English language ability, experience, risk of being apprehended, migrant networks, and the wage penalty for unauthorized workers all play roles in mobility…

Explores the challenges of using affirmative action programs when competing groups of underrepresented people vie for limited school resources. The case study of a San Francisco (California) high school illustrates the difficulties of balancing competing goals when affirming diversity and addressing patterns of discrimination conflict with equal…

This study compared the "Bridge" experimental reading program and whole language instruction with 106 economically disadvantaged first graders at risk for reading difficulties. The "Bridge" program uses icons or picture symbols to facilitate print word identification. The "Bridge" group performed significantly better…

A severe space crunch and dismal academic performance prompted a Texas school district to adopt multitrack year-round education. Six years later, crowding is under control and test scores and attendance are up. In an interview, the superintendent and assistant superintendent discuss the district's success with this controversial schedule. (MLF)

Argues that community services provide individuals with the opportunity to care for others as well as themselves in that they help create a better world. Describes four service programs at Piedmont Virginia Community College: a program teaching philosophy in the third grade, a summer program for inner-city children, Ethics-Across-the-Curriculum,…

Analyzes the relationship between the general fund allocations within a midsized school district and the ethnic, linguistic, and economic diversity of the student body. Findings reveal significant inequities in funding, student-teacher ratios, and resources. (GR)

This article examines research evidence on the effects of preschool reading practices on young children, emphasizing the role of school-based programs for young disadvantaged children. The analysis notes positive effects from story reading programs and presents practical guidelines related to group size, rereadings, vocabulary instruction, and…

Recommendations favoring generic academic rather than occupationally specific skills are based on false premises. Research evidence contradicts the following assertions: (1) academic skills are good substitutes for occupational skills; (2) skill obsolescence reduces the payoff to vocational training; and (3) rising job turnover reduces the payoff…

A case study of an English language learner in a rural Oregon middle school found that his performance in social studies dramatically improved under concept-based instruction. Methods such as concept-based instruction, which align curriculum and instruction with assessment, may offer solutions for schools serving culturally and linguistically…

A Colombian model of rural elementary education has increased student achievement. Basic characteristics are active learning, structured yet flexible and multifaceted nature, extensive training and support for teachers, and opportunities for meaningful involvement of students, teachers, and community members. A Guatemalan reform based on the model…

The "6+1" model of writing assessment, which identifies six traits of good writing, is applicable to any language. In an Anchorage (Alaska) elementary school with a high proportion of English language learners, homeless children, and other disadvantaged youth, the model helps students write about their own ideas and experiences, thereby…