The central and distinguishing thesis of social and cultural perspectives on outcome equity is that public school classrooms are culturally biased environments. Such environments disaffect children who arrive at school from the economic or cultural margin. The "formative learning environment" (FoLE) establishes and sustains legitimate…

Amargosa Valley School in Nevada could be considered representative of almost any preK-8 school that serves a large proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and is focused on turning around persistently low achievement. Like other schools supported by federal School Improvement Grants, Amargosa is beginning to implement a reform plan…

The purpose of this paper is to offer an analytic perspective to policy makers and educational practitioners regarding how to use longitudinal achievement data to evaluate schools. The authors further discuss the potential practical applications of their models for superintendents, researchers, and policy makers. The premise of the study is that…

Over the past decade, the number of homeless children in America has more than doubled. Educators, however, are still legally obligated to enroll and support them, because of the passage of the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001, which reauthorized the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Although schools cannot solve homelessness,…

Describes Holy Names College's Children's Theatre program for children in underprivileged areas. The program consists of a "What-to-Look-for-in-a-Play" demonstration, the production itself, and creative dramatics sessions arising from the demonstration and production. (DMM)

This document is designed to assist administrators and teachers in developing high quality pre-kindergarten programs which comply with Chapter 1 regulations and guidelines. Information is provided on administration, design, and implementation of programs for disadvantaged young children, as well as on appropriate instructional practices for…

Project Alternative Rooms, a program developed in the Kansas City (Missouri) schools, provides basic skills instruction to Chapter 1 students using a team-teaching approach with the students and the teachers in alternative classrooms. (MD)

Discusses implementation issues surrounding the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (Chapter 2), which consolidates 28 programs, including the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA), the major federal desegregation program. Major concerns include reduced eligibility requirements, distribution of funds, administrative responsibility,…

Chapter 1 is the largest federal education program in existence. It provides extra services to help low-achieving students and is targeted primarily at areas where low-income families reside. Parent involvement in designing and implementing the program is an essential part of Chapter 1. However, the parent involvement component is often not as…

The NCLB teacher-quality provisions are driven by research that documents the importance of teacher quality on student achievement and in closing achievement gaps. Indeed based on findings such as those indicating that (1) minority and low income students are disproportionately taught by under qualified school teachers; and (2) disadvantaged…

This publication for Pennsylvania educators outlines five homelessness curricula found in schools in Florida, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania, which aim to sensitize students to the realities of homelessness. The report points out that although the curricula differ in many ways, each covers the following key topics: (1) the causes and…

Intended as a planning and implementation aid for European political decision makers and organizers of projects that train and employ disadvantaged young people, this document consists of three sections. The first section systematically elaborates on major planning areas (objectives, pedagogy, integration into employment, staff qualifications, and…

This manual is designed to assist Minnesota school districts in implementing surrogate parent programs under federal law (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and federal and state regulations. An introduction notes that Minnesota special education rules expand on the federal law by clarifying what school districts must do, including…

Examines the ways in which schools facilitate and reproduce structured social inequalities in Australian society. Shows that curriculum variations in state and private secondary schools produce graduates with radically different cultural orientations to school, scholarship, and social and occupational life beyond academe. Lists 35 references. (MLH)

The Urban Mathematics Collaborative (UMC) Project was a 5-year effort to reform mathematics instruction in urban schools by empowering mathematics teachers. Targeting over 3,000 high school mathematics teachers in collaboratives in 11 urban areas, including San Francisco (California), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and New Orleans (Louisiana), the…