Examines current demographic projections in terms of five major concepts (fertility, age, region, race, and immigration) and analyzes their impact on tomorrow's schools. Beset with a declining birthrate, an aging population, and increasing numbers of poor and minority students, schools' major responsibility is to create winners and new recruits to…

The American public has never admired its schools and those who work in them. Things may have looked better when only 30% of Americans graduated from high school and the rest dug ditches. Charter schools cannot dispel increasing child poverty. The public should admit that schools are performing well and concentrate on helping them educate kids for…

This digest provides an overview of Native American demography, education, employment, and health conditions. In the 1990 census, 1.9 million Americans claimed American Indian status and over 5 million indicated Indian descent. About 637,000 lived on reservations or trust lands, while over 250,000 lived in cities. Half of Native Americans lived in…

Reviews demographic data, highlighting changes in U.S. demographics from Census 2000 and other sources, and exploring the relevance for education, particularly teacher education. The paper notes that given the push for standardized test scores as educational reform, schools of education will eventually be held accountable for the knowledge and…

By 2010, whites will comprise only 9% of the world's population--the smallest ethnic minority. While 26% of all Americans are nonwhite, among schoolchildren it is 36% The North's populations are old, white, wealthy, well educated, and declining. The South and West's populations are young, ethnically diverse, poorer, less educated, and increasing.…

Demography is clear about present cohorts; the future will include the same cohorts--only older. However, uncontrollable external forces are going to be dominant in determining America's destiny. To be effective the nation must respond quickly to these changes: the shift from a manufacturing to a service economy, an increasing number of…

Enrollment pressures are weak in inner cities, suburban areas show short-term growth, and many of the nation's 81,000 public high schools are in the wrong places. The Internet and newer technologies will not diminish the need for buildings. Carnegie units and the general education track are passe. (MLH)

Demographic profiles of the six SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) states provide narrative and statistical information and identify common themes, priorities, and goals to fulfill the mission of improving education in the Southeast. Descriptions of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South…

Cites demographic figures showing that U.S. children are an endangered species. Educators alone cannot "fix" the problems of education, because dealing with poverty's root causes must involve health care, housing, transportation, job training, and social welfare bureaucracies. The United States has the resources, if not the will, to reduce the…

Discusses demographic diversification and implications for the American educational system. The United States is aging rapidly, has polarized wealth and poverty, has more Latin American and Asian immigrants, and is becoming increasingly mobile, suburban, and non-Caucasian. The best predictors of school achievement are household income and parents'…

Describes U.S. student body's unique diversity and startling demographic changes to come, considers student achievement data from grade school to graduate school, discusses educators' failures in working with certain students, and indicates what must be done to educate all young Americans. Concentrating efforts on at-risk students (lowest 40%) and…

This report summarizes demographic information about rural populations in the United States and discusses a variety of issues that are relevant to rural youth poverty. Although recent poverty rates for rural areas were higher than urban poverty rates, the media and political forces have almost completely neglected the rural poor. Extensive census…

Nothing is distributed evenly. Only 5 states will have a 20 percent enrollment increase; enrollments will decline in eastern central cities. The nature of race is changing, students are increasingly mobile, and the population is aging. Teachers must accommodate varied student backgrounds, needs, and world views. (MLH)

This companion piece to a 1997 article examines United States demographic trends, such as diversity by age, "race" and U.S. Census racial classifications, wealth, transiency, suburbanization and sprawl, and immigration, focusing on differences among states and metro regions. Nothing, including achievement scores, social services, and…