Examines how widespread the "working poor" problem actually is and concludes that the Clinton administration's views on the dimensions of the "working poor" are seriously distorted. It argues that there are fewer "working poor" households: making up only 12% of all poor families. (GLR)

Summarizes a large-scale, systematic study that described and analyzed instructional practices in about 140 classrooms located in 15 poverty-area elementary schools. Teaching for meaning, or instruction promoting comprehension and conceptual understanding, was compared to more conventional methods. Students exposed to meaning-oriented instruction…

Discusses the passage in the United Kingdom of the Public Libraries Act of 1850 and its reflections of social and political attitudes prevalent at the time, particularly laissez-faire and utilitarianism. Individualism, national education, and middle class concern for the poor are discussed. (60 references) (LRW)

This paper describes procedures developed by Project Synergy, a federally funded project at Columbia University (New York) to identify economically disadvantaged, potentially gifted kindergarten students in urban schools. The procedures emphasize site-appropriate methods, observation, dynamic assessment, and the concept of best performance. It…

Much research comparing public and private schools infers that private schools' superiority is trivial, misleading, and results from skimming the best students. This article describes nontrivial private school advantages, such as a communitarian emphasis, greater influence on outside-class behavior, promotion of intergenerational bonding,…

An Open University (OU) course collected life histories of 60 female students from disadvantaged backgrounds, charting their multiple roles or "careers." OU courses appeared to help them take advantage of community and social opportunities and cope with social or economic instability. (SK)

Assesses the major claims and counterclaims in the debate on the desirability of attaching work-related obligations to the receipt of welfare benefits. Attempts to reach a balanced judgment on whether labor policy should continue moving in that direction. (JOW)

John Goodlad's article in the same "Kappan" issue provides a realistic picture of teacher preparation, but does not reveal new information. Perhaps teacher preparation programs and schooling are deliberately disconnected to guarantee the same dreadful outcomes for the poor and minorities that American schooling has always produced. (MLH)

This nation has spent billions of public dollars over the years on dropout prevention, with limited results. Inspired by Eugene Lang's successes, this article proposes that every state create a Student Incentive Plan for economically disadvantaged children designed to mitigate a legacy of poverty and increase these children's financial security…

When names of 24,000 children from migrant education censuses were cross-referenced with abuse registries, it was found that migrant children were significantly more likely to be maltreated than other children, although incidence rates varied from state to state. The paper emphasizes research methodology, access to central registers, and…

Reviews literature on prevalence, mechanisms of fetal toxicity, effects of exposure, socioeconomic factors, and social-support programs to increase awareness of the effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. Emphasizes the need for drug education and social-support programs for disadvantaged pregnant women to prevent and control cocaine use. (EMK)

Describes a mobile needle-exchange program in New York's South Bronx that employs the latest in computer and telecommunications equipment in its mission of controlling the spread of HIV. A brief overview of New York City's drug and HIV problem is provided and of the "underground" effort it created to reverse the problem. (GR)

Considers historical treatments of the poor and higher education by discussing one book from each of the following categories: (1) traditional/omission; (2) increased inclusion; (3) center of analysis; (4) issue specific; and (5) broader social analysis. Comments on the contributions and limitations of each work. (CMK)

Reviews selected research on the benefits of student involvement in extracurricular activities, especially in small schools. (PKP)

Schools with high concentrations of poor children often get the poorest prepared teachers. Those schools also typically have the highest levels of turnover. We must deal with the working conditions in those schools. We need to ensure that our strongest leaders work there and then make it worth their while to stay there financially by giving them…