This report is the first in a series documenting the actual results of welfare reform, examining changes in the welfare and work participation of single mothers. Data come from the annual March supplement to the U.S. Current Population Survey. Results find that the number of families on welfare declined by 50 percent between passage of welfare…

West Virginia received two grants from the U.S. Department of Education to encourage disadvantaged youth to have high expectations, stay in school, and take academically rigorous courses to prepare for college. A total of 17 counties were served by these grants. As part of the program, surveys were completed by 3,716 students in 54 middle and…

Research has revealed interactive effects of school size and socioeconomic status--as school size increases, the mean measured achievement of schools with disadvantaged students declines. The larger the number of less advantaged students attending a school, the greater the decline. The same school-level interactions have been found in California,…

A study examined educational property tax burdens in Nebraska counties, using data on property taxes levied, property values, and per capita income. The study found that the average school tax burdens for residents in the lowest third (by per capita income) of Nebraska counties, which were nearly all rural farmers and ranchers, were 88 percent…

During its 8-year history, the federal Adult Education for the Homeless Program (AEH) pioneered new methods of service to adults in need and benefited over 320,000 homeless adults and families. Despite an evaluation that documented program success, funding was rescinded from the 1995 federal budget and never reinstated. AEH programs developed the…

This report provides a synopsis of findings from an interim report of an ongoing national study of Title I schoolwide programs conducted by the Laboratory for Student Success in conjunction with other Regional Educational Laboratories. The study is designed to develop a national database on program features, implementation requirements, and…

One of the most complex aspects of the achievement gap--one that, by and large, is out of the direct control of educational leaders--is the income gap. Broadly defined, the income gap is the standard of living difference between rich and poor, but in the education system, the gap permeates deeply into many dimensions of a student's progression…

With the growing federal, state, and local policy emphasis on teacher quality and student achievement, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) investigated teacher resources and their relationship to student achievement in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The purpose of this study was to provide policymakers with information about…

Urban and rural Aboriginal- and Anglo-Australian children were tested for reading and math achievement, for nonverbal psychometric test intelligence, and for three cognitive styles. Psychometric intelligence was clearly a more powerful predictor of the effects of culture and location on school achievement than was cognitive style. (Author/CMG)

Charges that colleges have persistently maintained inequalities in their educational structures that affect minority and lower socioeconomic students. Explores the effectiveness of academic improvement programs and suggests strategies to overcome problems in spite of economic conservation, including support groups, peer counseling, and outreach by…

Describes the program of the Turner Job Corps Center, Albany, Georgia, which provides a holistic setting for youth development emphasizing behavioral management and measurement. Academic and vocational management systems are self-paced individual mastery programs. The measurement function is carried out by computer in the Systems Support…

Three factors were found to distinguish effective from less effective schools in Washington, DC: (1) principals' leadership style and support of teachers; (2) teachers' role in instruction; and (3) staff development programs. (Author/GC)

Examines effects of several federal categorical programs and civil rights mandates on schools/school districts. Concluded that federal and state policies for special populations have (1) improved and expanded services for target students, and (2) increased the structural complexity of schools and districts. The study also found that overtime costs…

Outlines the latest Federal budget and regulatory proposals being discussed, examines the spending and taxation priorities on which they are based, and suggests alternatives for the funding of education and other human services. (Available from Gutman Library, 6 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138.) (Author/GC)