The Even Start project in the Poudre (Colorado) School District involves a learning center where parents receive literacy instruction and are trained to become partners in their children's education. The program features separate parent and child activities, group activities, home visits from family monitors, field trips, and support groups. (SK)

Discusses the factors contributing to the growing demand for lifelong learning and examines the disproportionately low participation rate of minority students in the lifelong learning process. Considers the need to create, from the elementary level onward, self-directed students who are aware of their educational options. (DMM)

Principal Gloria Sanchez Roman is giving local parents a voice at Roque de Duprey Elementary School. A 10-member council helps get parents involved. (MLF)

Discusses Israeli teachers' negative attitudes toward Jews of North African and Middle Eastern origin, who constitute about half of Israel's Jewish population and comprise 90 percent of Israel's disadvantaged. Describes several countermeasures and predicts that change will come as the position of Oriental Jews in Israeli society improves. (DM)

Examines elements of programs that have been successful at changing long-term outcomes among disadvantaged children and their families: delivering a wide array of services, building relationship of trust and respect, dealing with children as part of a family, and responding to those most at risk. Suggests ways to overcome barriers to multiplying…

Under the Post-Primary Project, Trinidad and Tobago may legitimately claim to have achieved some educational expansion under difficult economic circumstances. Although top-down curriculum management and a strong remediation emphasis limited program success, the school clustering concept, along with increased vocational training, offers a promising…

Describes a study investigating the effects of the Developing Understanding of Self and Others (DUSO-R) program and relaxation/imagery training on the self-esteem of economically disadvantaged fourth graders. Data analysis indicated that the DUSO-R effectively elevated students' feelings of self-esteem and global self-worth and acted as an…

The New Jersey Supreme Court has significantly redefined the state's constitutional obligation to poor, urban children--providing a "thorough and efficient" education geared to a post-industrial economy. Measures have shifted from expenditures to provision of resources to meet state curriculum standards. The problem: ensuring adequate…

Study of Upward Bound programs, designed to help disadvantaged high school students attend and succeed in college, finds participants have higher educational expectations and college-preparatory achievement than do nonparticipants; Hispanic students and students with initially lower expectations benefit most; there is no impact on students' high…

As the United States grows more ethnically diverse, traditional school-integration tools are becoming less potent. Restoration of Horace Mann's common school represents the single best way to promote equal educational opportunity. Controlled public-school choice (via specialty schools) is the best way to achieve socioeconomic integration.…

Examines risk and protective factors to identify processes in rural, single-parent families that are linked with positive child outcomes. Protective domains promoted greater child self-regulation; parenting protective factors promoted greater self-regulation. Maternal risk had the greatest negative effect on child self-worth. Results also reveal…

This article describes a framework for building more inclusive, effective, and successful schools in poor rural and urban communities called "Whole Schooling". Multiple barriers to inclusive schools are identified, the commonalties and differences between poor rural and urban schools are explored, and specific strategies for utilizing available…

Building social capital for poor children is an important endeavor. Disadvantaged children generally lack a network that allows them to thrive in school and achieve a sense of belonging. Schools in impoverished neighborhoods can strengthen ties to students by building links to the community, becoming full-service community schools, and joining…

Discussion of the Star Schools distance-learning program focuses on equity issues that were addressed in a national evaluation. Service to elementary and secondary school students in remote rural areas and students in schools serving minority and economically disadvantaged students is examined, and policy implications are considered. (LRW)

Examined the economic well-being of adult refugees who arrived in the United States as children. Examined five refugee groups (Southeast Asians, Soviets/East Europeans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans) using data from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing. Findings indicate the economic status of childhood refugee arrivals differed by…