Urban school reformers for decades have tried to improve educational outcomes for underserved and disadvantaged students, with the assistance of constantly evolving federal and state policies. In recent years, education policies have shifted from targeting individual students to developing universal standards for teaching and learning, and…

This study of three female preservice teachers who took part in a practicum teaching experience in Mexico focused on what the students learned, how they met the challenges of the experience, and how the experience affected their personal and professional lives later. This qualitative study used interviews with each student and observation field…

In describing the successful development of a special homemaking, hygiene and counseling program for urban disadvantaged adults who do not neatly fit into usual adult education classes, the author emphasizes communication and cooperation among several agencies. Approximately forty clients at a time are served in a warm and humane atmosphere. (AJ)

Describes a study undertaken to establish a basis for various methods to combat the ingestion of plaster or paint containing lead by children from the lower socio-economic level. Stresses the need for the removal of substandard housing, case-finding, and early treatment of lead poisoning. (Author/SF)

Examines the relationship between social background factors and educational achievements. Illustrates analysis of levels of disadvantage in schools and the complexities of judging school performance. Discusses the potential of z-score indicators to measure deprivation levels in urban area schools. Suggests a strong relationship between…

A cohort of 782 Soweto (black South African) students was traced during students' first 4 years of schooling, 1987-90 (apartheid still in effect). Only 55 percent completed second grade in 4 years, but repetition in grade was a much greater problem than dropping out. Discusses postapartheid policy implications for improving educational efficiency…

Describes the characteristics, implementation, and evaluation of eight school restructuring designs in an impoverished, urban, district in 1995 in Memphis (Tennessee). Type of program design, quality of professional training, resources, principal leadership, and teacher support affected the restructuring. (MMU)

Examines research findings on the resilience of infants and toddlers raised in poverty and stress. Describes the personal and environmental resilience characteristics of infancy and toddlerhood that are related to later resilience in middle childhood and adulthood. Highlights research findings significant for policymakers and caregivers, offering…

It has been argued that social isolation is the mechanism linking neighborhood disadvantage to residents' reduced life chances. Analysis of Chicago data on inner-city African American families (each containing a mother and adolescent child) found that families in poorer neighborhoods belonged to social networks with fewer resources but,…

Some children exposed to socioeconomic (SES) deprivation are resilient and function better than expected, given the level of deprivation they have experienced. The present study tested genetic and environmental contributions to young children's resilience and vulnerability to SES deprivation. Children's resilience was assessed by the difference…

Over the past decade, increased attention has been paid to identifying and responding to the emotional and behavioural needs of children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). The aims of the present study were to add to this body of knowledge by identifying factors associated with emotional and behavioural needs among a sample of…

This article discusses the issue of engagement in antenatal parent education for women living in deprived areas. The article focuses on the findings of a local evaluation of a Sure Start parent education programme designed to improve parental engagement with antenatal services. The article discusses the re-orientation of this service, the impact…

Although a number of reviews of gender differences in conduct problems and delinquency exist, this paper fills a gap in reviewing neighborhood influences on gender differences in conduct problems and delinquency. These influences are known to be important for boys in childhood and adolescence, but cannot be assumed to be influential in the same…

Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (neighborhood N=77; individual N=951), we consider the extent to which African American youth maintain sexual and fertility-related norms that support early sexual activity and childbearing and examine the robustness of racial differences in sexual attitudes to controls for…

California's vast Central Valley has been called "the Appalachia of California" and "the Other California." Long neglected as either irrelevant or hopeless, the Central Valley has become the focus of government and private philanthropists who understand the growing importance of this region to the state and the nation. The…