This is Part I of an article published in two parts, and deals with a multiplicity of factors which reduce the quality of living. The author feels that major causes of failure to learn are social, political and economic. (Author)

Education acts in this country have been created with the express purpose of preventing students from slipping through the cracks. Unfortunately, legislation has not been successful. By disaggregating the student dropout rate in Texas and juxtaposing this information to the prison influx rate in 2001, a profile of the population entering Texas…

A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF THE NASHVILLE COOPERATIVE READING PROJECT DATA IS REPORTED. TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF FAMILY-HOME VARIABLES ON READING ACHIEVEMENT, THE PEABODY CULTURAL OPPORTUNITY SCALE WAS GIVEN TO DISADVANTAGED FIRST GRADERS IN 12 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SERVING THE LOW SOCIOECONOMIC AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY. OBJECTIVE DATA WERE GATHERED ON…

Reports on a study of African-American college students at a state university in the Midwest. The study examined the effects of marginality on their college experience and performance. Identifies six reactions to marginality and provides case study examples of each. Includes extensive references and verbatim comments from the students. (MJP)

The thesis that intelligence is based on heredity was dramatically revived in 1969 by an article in the "Harvard Educational Review" by Arthur Jensen, a psychologist at the University of California at Berkeley. The article, which received wide attention, was sharply criticized by those who hold that it is environment rather than genes which puts…

Economic restructuring has exacerbated problems of black men such as poverty, unemployment, lowered life expectancy, and low expectations. Power diverted from productive channels is expressed in gang violence, homicide, and suicide. Recommendations include a national agency to eliminate poverty, involve the black community, and increase funding…

A study examined factors associated with achievement for African-American eighth graders and whether differences existed relative to poverty status and depth of poverty. Data were extracted from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988. An independent data set of 3,009 students was created including information for students identifying…

The transition from high school to adult life is an exciting time for many young people. Youth from high poverty backgrounds, however, are considered at-risk for a host of unfavorable outcomes including academic failure, school dropout, drug abuse, unemployment and incarceration. These adolescents are more likely than their more affluent peers to…

This report uses newly developed techniques of statistical analysis to assess the separate and joint influences of home, school, and neighborhood in Lothian (Scotland, United Kingdom) and to show that deprivation in each of these areas depresses young people's educational attainment. The results reported here come from the first phase of a…

The retired Procter & Gamble corporate leader and member of the Committee for Economic Development (CED) discusses the crisis in the American education system and his efforts for reform. Subjects covered include implications for business and the nation, business and federal reform initiatives, and the mandate for community-wide involvement.…

The characteristics of schools defined as having low, medium, and high poverty concentration are examined. The following variables are examined for elementary schools: (1) school climate; (2) compensatory education related characteristics; (3) demographic characteristics; (4) student mobility; and (5) reading and math achievement. The following…

"Udbhas," which means "expression," is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to spread literacy and promote post-literacy education among the underprivileged children in the slums of Calcutta, India. This paper describes the creation, work, and benefits to children of Udbhas. The paper notes that most of the organization's…

The chains that link economic, social, cultural, and other factors to produce poverty need to be broken. The number of poor people has increased: one European in eight lives below poverty thresholds. New social categories are affected; the proportion of adults of working age is rising. The new poverty is also different because of its geographical…

This publication contains two essays and an annotated bibliography of publications about risk. The entries in the bibliography were produced by the various clearinghouses in the ERIC system. The first essay, "Who Is at Risk? Definitions, Demographics, and Decisions," by Aaron M. Pallas, categorizes personal, family, and environmental factors that…

This book explores operational problems of providing educational services to underprivileged children in developing nations and presents reports from countries which have developed programs to solve these problems. The book is designed primarily for specialists concerned with development efforts both within and outside the educational sphere, and…