Scholars theorize that "opportunity gaps" drive achievement disparities between children born into poverty versus affluence. In a 26-year longitudinal study (N = 814), we examine (a) economic disparity in children's accumulation of opportunities--from birth through high school--at home, childcare, school, afterschool, and in the…

By providing early access to education, early childhood and community-based programs are helping to close the achievement gap prevalent among children from impoverished homes.

This article describes Fifth Dimension, an after-school program which mixes play and computer games to improve the education and social skills of mostly poor, disadvantaged kids. Although Fifth Dimension seems tailor-made for a poor, rural community, its roots are urban. The after-school program was founded by a group of researchers in San Diego…

Acknowledging the changes that poor and homeless students have experienced, this curriculum guide uses change to focus on the challenges found in transitioning into a new environment. The premise underlying the curriculum is that the forces that shape human life are constantly changing, and in order to give meaning to these changes, students must…