This report describes a "third wave" of educational reform that focuses on improving academic achievement and preventing dropping out among disadvantaged children. It contains eight sections. The Executive Summary surveys the dimensions of the at-risk situation and strategies to confront it. "The Scope of the Problem" provides background on the…

Our nation's youth dropout rate, while consistent for almost 20 years, has increasingly become a major educational and societal problem. This summary of a longer sourcebook provides an overview of various strategies and initiatives for groups, schools, businesses, and communities to consider in addressing their dropout problems, and describes a…

This report, a product of the Commission on Youth and America's Future, addresses the problem of the approximately 20 million 16- to 24-year-olds who are not likely to attend college. Although many youth without college education are successful, a large fraction are not and need help to succeed. However, the portrait of them as troubled and in…

A project to develop grass roots alternative diploma study (Project GRADS) was undertaken for the purpose of formulating and implementing a multimodal, systems approach to preparing rural adults to pass the General Educational Development (GED) Tests. During the year-long, countywide program, GED programming was developed and delivered via the…

The development of a model network for team leadership by the University of Akron and community agencies is described. The major program objectives were to increase understanding of: interpersonal and intragroup dynamics; organizational development and collaborative planned change; and issues at the local, regional, and national levels that relate…

The role of nonformal university adult education (UAE) in revitalizing vocational education and training (VET) in marginalized neighborhoods in Ireland was examined. First, an examination of the barriers affecting participation in VET in marginalized neighborhoods identified the following barriers: situational barriers arising from individual life…

The Youth Offender Demonstration Project (YODP) combined oversight of youth offenders with services to support youth offenders' passage into the word of work by providing recommended social development strategies for youth offenders. YODP demonstration projects were funded in the following categories: (1) model community projects; (2) education…

Companion to a five-part public television documentary, this book describes efforts across the United States to fight poverty, and also prescribes that we all take responsibility for a fight against economic inequality. The book's goal is to contribute to a meaningful discussion about poverty in America, a topic that cannot be broached today…

This report describes and evaluates the Raven School, a charter school established in 1998 to serve adjudicated youths ages 16 to 18. The school is administered by the Gulf Coast Trades Center, a private nonprofit organization located in the Sam Houston National Forest in rural Texas. In addition to academics and GED preparation, other program…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Wisconsin FACETS program, a program that provides parent information and training services for underserved parents and caretakers of infants, toddlers, children, and young adults with disabilities who live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The goals of the program are provided, along with a…

Earlier patterns of college school partnerships do not meet today's needs. Partnerships should promote preschool through college level reform because elementary and secondary school education are inextricably bound up with college education. In six cities, Community Compacts are bringing together leaders from higher education, elementary secondary…

This booklet, part of a series of profiles on family support and education programs across the United States, contains profiles of five diverse programs designed to improve the future of children through family-focused and comprehensive service delivery. Programs examined are North Dakota's Child Welfare Reform Initiative, Iowa's Decategorization…

This report presents case studies from seven states showing how state governments are: (1) responding to demands for more efficient and effective delivery of children's services; (2) taking on additional responsibilities formerly handled at the federal level; and (3) passing on added responsibilities to the local level (school districts, local…

This report describes a model designed to provide family-centered, community-based coordinated services for families and their children with chronic health care needs. The model, which was implemented to serve 208 children over a 5-year period, is based on three key concepts: families should have the choice to receive services in their homes and…

This monograph summarizes asthma management conclusions developed by five studies funded under a 5-year federal program titled "Interventions for the Control of Asthma among Black and Hispanic Children." The research goals were to develop model, replicable programs to reduce asthma morbidity; decrease inappropriate use of health care…