In the nation today, 4.6 million young adults ages 16 to 24 are out of school and unemployed. More than one-third live in poverty. For these young people, commonly referred to as opportunity youth, building skills and gaining work experience are key to upward mobility. However, they face significant barriers to entering the labor market.…

This article is concerned to respond to recent UK governments' attitudes to teachers, who are predominantly women, and who are denied a voice and sense of professionalism. It looks to the role of teacher research in school decision-making, including school improvement, historically in England, which set a pioneering example in years before the…

Character educators have a special responsibility to look after children's welfare. At a time when one out of every five children lives below the poverty line, and the United States ranks next to last among the wealthiest nations of the world in looking after the well-being of its children, character educators cannot be silent. Character educators…

Describes and critiques the dominant understanding of poverty in the United States as reflected in its most common measure, the federal poverty line, commenting on the politics of poverty measurement and considering the implications of a revised measure of poverty for thinking about poor children and their education in this nation's schools. (SM)

Examines CCIs (Comprehensive Community Initiatives), which can help librarians expand services to young adults who live in poverty; reviews a Wisconsin plan which highlights community-based librarianship; presents a case study of a Florida CCI-based youth development project; and discusses public libraries and CCIs, and library education programs…

The welfare system is presently being reformed and restructured to emphasize employment. However, while pushing remedial education and job placement for adults, we may be losing a whole generation of children whose failure in school dooms them to repeat the dependency cycle. An alarming number of youngsters are poor, have a chaotic family life,…

As part of an effort to correct major social problems, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) was created in the State of Washington. The ECEAP offers comprehensive, quality preschool programs for children of families who have an income at or below the federal poverty level. An introductory section of the report provides…

This report provides statistical information about young children and their families living in poverty. It includes the following data: (1) from 1987 to 1992, the number of poor children under age 6 rose from 5 to 6 million; (2) from 1972 through 1992, the poverty rates have increased dramatically for children under age 6; (3) in 1992, 55 percent…

This paper discusses the characteristics of three community-based early childhood care and development support programs: the Community Mothers Program of Dublin, Ireland; the Maternal and Infant Health Outreach Workers Program of Tennessee; and the Mothers Inform Mothers Program of the Netherlands. The paper considers the general characteristics…

This article considers the proposed federal Youth Education and Employment Initiative which targets federal funds to those high schools with the lowest achievement and highest poverty levels, to help build work experience programs and to upgrade student skills. New Jersey Education Association recommendations on secondary curriculum improvement…

As part of a commitment to eliminate child poverty, the British government has established Sure Start programs across the country. Sure Start programs are very similar to U.S. Early Head Start initiatives; their stated aim is to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged families and children before and from birth. The article describes…

The young people quoted in this paper attend two high schools in Umlazi Township, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Poverty is rife in the area: some students are known to go five days at a stretch without food. Parts of the vast, sprawling township are notorious for shootings and violent crime. The rape of schoolgirls on their way to and from school…