This study examined the long-term performance of three cohorts of Head Start graduates as they proceeded through a single school system. Information was taken from application cards and from a computerized pupil data base. Overall findings showed that students who attended Head Start performed better than the comparison group. (LMO)

This paper quantitatively analyzes the incidence of public education spending on the poor in developing countries by using the results of standard benefit-incidence studies and additional national data. Although there is considerable variation across studies, it is found that public education spending generally does not favor the poor, but it does…

This is the 2nd "New Jersey City Kids Count," a snapshot of child well-being in New Jersey's largest and poorest cities. The report serves to measure progress and challenges in the cities where most of New Jersey's poorest children are growing up. The Association for Children of New Jersey, with funding from the Annie E. Casey…

The United States of America is often called the "land of opportunity," a place where hard work and sacrifice lead to economic success. Across generations, countless families have been able to live out that promise. However, more than one out of four American working families now earn wages so low that they have difficulty surviving…

This paper explores issues surrounding the interplay of college preparation, financial assistance, cultural norms, and transition to college for Appalachian first-generation college students from low-income rural families. The Robinson Scholars Program aims to significantly improve the college-going rate in 29 counties in eastern Kentucky. The…

The Early Intervention Programme (EIP) was launched in Scotland in June 1997 to raise literacy and numeracy skills in primary years 1 and 2, particularly among disadvantaged students. This report summarizes findings from the program evaluation conducted over 3 years. The evaluation concluded that the EIP had an enormous impact on many schools in…

The Community Service Scholars Program at Trinity College (Vermont) was established in fall 1989 to give single parents on welfare an opportunity to earn a four-year degree while volunteering at least 6 hours per week in community service projects. The participants receive financial support to cover most educational expenses. In the first year, 12…

A study investigated the meaning to participating mothers of their involvement in a family literacy program, the Family Reading Program, based in an elementary school in a low-income urban neighborhood. The Family Reading Program is a workshop series for adult family members. In the program, the adults read interesting children's books and learn…

This book is the outcome of a regional study on using literacy as a tool for empowering the poor, carried out by the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) with collaborative support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The book sketches a program for empowerment of the poor through basic education on the…

A study explored the lives of families and successful readers within "at-risk" environments. This inquiry sought to identify and understand the home and family characteristics that enable children to defy the myths and become successful readers and literacy users, when individuals and institutions would suggest they would fail. Through…

This case study on Focus: HOPE is the fourth of six sectoral studies to provide an in-depth look at individual sectoral employment development programs and their interaction within distinct economic and industry environments. It explores HOPE, a Detroit civil rights organization with a highly developed machinist training program. Section 1…

In spring 2001, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges passed a resolution whose aim is to narrow the digital divide among California community college students. The digital divide is defined as the disparity between those who have access to technology and those who do not. The resolution suggests two questions: (1) How has…

The National Science Foundation funded Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSI), a set of systemic reforms created to enhance math, science, and technology education in economically disadvantaged, rural areas. Central to RSI efforts are the implementation of six drivers of educational system reform: 1) standards-based curricula, instruction, and…

This paper offers the definition of the term "special populations" that appears in Section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act of 1998: (1) individuals with disabilities; (2) individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including foster children; (3) individuals preparing for nontraditional training and…

A survey of state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies toward postsecondary training or education (PSE) shows that at least 40 states allow more access to PSE than would be countable under the House-passed reauthorization bill (H.R.4737). If it were enacted, these states would likely have to change their policies to reduce…