Two articles explore how education leaders influence the education system to empower and enhance the wellbeing of students experiencing poverty. Recognizing that poverty is a wicked problem (Head, 2008) that requires complexification (Joosse & Teisman, 2021), I use the capability approach (Sen, 1990, 1999,2009) extended empowerment dimensions…

Poverty can substantially limit access to books. Access to books is a significant predictor of academic success, and lack of access jeopardizes literacy development and expands academic achievement gaps. We examined an evolving collaborative effort to increase book access in a region in the southern United States. The collaborations involve a…

Faced with the problem of how to measure the magnitude of economic disadvantage in the populations served by schools or districts, researchers addressing school finance topics have invariably turned to the fraction of students eligible for free- or reduced-lunches (FRPL). But the facile dependence on FRPL may be problematic. A large and growing…

Educators and caregivers can foster emotional wellbeing, growth, and resilience, contributing to a fulfilling and balanced adulthood by providing positive childhood experiences (PCEs). PCEs protect the brain and promote healing for people who have experienced adverse childhood environments (ACEs). In the presence of PCEs, adverse experiences in…

This study finds substantial reductions to criminal activity from the introduction of a comprehensive high school support program for disadvantaged youth living in the largest public housing project in Toronto. The program, called Pathways to Education, bundles supports such as regular coaching, tutoring, group activities, free public…

Youth interpersonal firearm violence disproportionately affects Black youth, with residential racial segregation as a key determinant. Racially segregated neighborhoods, which are economically isolated (e.g., neighborhood disadvantage), are linked to increased exposure to violence. This exposure, in turn, is a determinant of youth firearm…

Literacy as a unified concept is no longer valid or useful for today's complex world, where globally we face many challenges and contradictions. Adult literacy is shifting rapidly, and the human need for visually communicating meaningfully and relationally -- beyond 'reading and writing' -- is vital for addressing wicked problems and difficult…

Using a mixed research design, the overall objective of this study is to investigate the profiles of child labour in Ethiopia's districts of Raya-Kobo and Angot. The study's specific objectives are to examine types of activities and prevalence of child labour, to identify the children's working contexts, and to evaluate the extent of harm children…

This report estimates training needs in three Kalamazoo "core neighborhoods": the Northside, Edison, and the Eastside. Using Census data, the analysis estimates the number of people potentially needing training in these neighborhoods as between 1,254 and 2,098 individuals. This report also estimates this training population's…

Recent studies have acknowledged the role of community-based organizations (CBOs) in tackling poverty. CBOs could provide a valuable social space, networks, and supporting resources for disadvantaged people in local communities. They could also provide psychological empowerment opportunities and experiences that could positively influence the…

Mandatory reporting is the first step in a troubling and common cascade: Poverty, reframed as "neglect," precipitates far too many reports, with roughly one-third of children enduring a CPS investigation. Investigated families are monitored and coerced to change their parenting (usually without support for alleviating their poverty),…

Scholars theorize that the nature of school gun violence varies across school settings. Yet, there is a lack of statistical research testing this idea. This study investigates contextual factors associated with six forms of school gun incidents (N = 1,238) over a 40-year period (1980-2019) in the United States. To conduct the analyses, school,…

Students enter university programs with the hope of passing courses and eventually graduating with a degree. However, many students experience challenges transitioning into their program and the first year. Some of these challenges may be influenced by their pre-collegiate experiences, as certain students come from under-resourced communities…

Direct certification has been described by policymakers and academics as a tool which may replace National School Lunch Program (NSLP) eligibility data (Douglas Geverdt, National Center for Education Statistics, personal communication, August 28, 2023). It suggests a policy future in which we change the metric of how we identify disadvantage. On…

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a common measure used to gauge social, cultural, and financial capital in scientific literature. Over time, SES research has produced an extremely wide and inconsistently used variety of SES variables and components. This study will review research that estimates SES and will examine common components and trends from…