Uses national survey data to examine the extent to which group differentials in early nonmarital childbearing are a function of normative differences in fertility intentions. Results indicate that birth intentions do vary by race and ethnicity, poverty status, and family structure. (RJM)

Asserts that John Baptist de La Salle remains a model for Catholic educators because: (1) he was an innovative educator; (2) he nurtured students' spirits as well as their minds; and (3) he made education accessible to everyone, especially the poor. States that these three principles should be the driving force for today's educators. (EMH)

Examines how U.S. societal stratifications have pervaded early childhood care and education and related social programs and policies. Reviews the history of multitiered early childhood programs, focusing on African American education issues, early 20th-century child care, and Head Start's legacy and limitations. Charts future directions for child…

Gunnar Myrdal's "An American Dilemma," revered as a monumental work on race relations, benefited from uncanny historical timing. As it repudiated racism and second-class citizenship, it also stayed within safe political limits for the time. The author never committed to policies that would secure real citizenship for African Americans.…

Describes the results from a family-based case management demonstration program which served families in North Carolina during the period of 1990 to 1993. The model from the program was based on the family investment initiative strategy developed by the George Washington University Center for Policy Studies. Implications of the results for social…

Uses data from current research and two older adult focus groups to develop a conceptual model of exercise self-efficacy and its predictors among older adults. Specifically addresses the issue of low socioeconomic status among older adults and how to improve their health and activity level. (SNR)

Discusses issues in reconceptualizing early childhood care and development ideas that were formulated in western industrialized countries to better fit the cultures of third world countries. Notes the importance of adapting early childhood programs at a conceptual level to ensure their success when implemented with other cultures. (JPB)

Discusses the role of the arts in multicultural education, explaining how diverse students react to and need support in the arts in order to succeed. Focuses on the efforts of urban elementary and secondary schools in Madison, Wisconsin. Also examines the use of mentoring and tutoring to help raise the academic achievement of minority students who…

Staff development leading to significant improvement in student learning is results-driven, standards-based, job-embedded, and focused on teachers' content and instructional skills. The National Staff Development Council's recently adopted code of ethics aims to increase awareness of ethical issues and improve decision-making capabilities…

Describes qualities of a good preschool child-development program: Competent staff, parent partnerships, administrative support, and school board support. Provides list of online resources. (PKP)

Interviewed young women with social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties during their school years, examining alternative schooling and professional support they received. Explores current issues in the press and academic literature about the underclass, single motherhood, work and unemployment, and professional support, arguing for an…

Federal legislation passed in 1994 and the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program (CSRD) encourage high-poverty Title I schools to adopt prepackaged research-based models of schoolwide reform. The nine components of CSRD and key ingredients for its implementation are discussed. Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School (Vancouver, Washington)…

Describes reforms at Berniss Elementary School (Spokane, Washington) from 1992 to 1999. A Title I school serving poor and immigrant neighborhoods, Berniss showed dramatic improvements in standardized test scores. Reform strategies included hiring four facilitators as peer coaches to encourage reform, changing teaching methods to promote active…

Examined relations between alternative representations of poverty cofactors and promotion processes, and problem behaviors of 6- and 7-year-olds from disadvantaged families. Found that single-index risk representations and promotion variables predicted aggression but not anxiety/depression. An additive model of individual risk indicators performed…

This study addressed 2 questions: (a) Can preschoolers who will fail at reading be more efficiently identified by targeting those at highest risk for reading problems? and (b) will auditory temporal processing (ATP) improve the accuracy of identification derived from phonological processing and oral language ability? A sample of 227 preschoolers…