Background: We examined prevalence, incidence, and trajectory of obesity from kindergarten through grade 8 in one of the first states to implement annual surveillance. Methods: Participants included 16,414 children enrolled in kindergarten in Arkansas in 2004 with complete body mass index (BMI) measurements in kindergarten and eighth grade.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the FRIENDS for Life program on students' and teachers' emotional outcomes in a school serving a high-poverty population. The focus of the intervention was to train/coach teachers with strategies to develop social and emotional skills for students. A single group, pre/post-test design was used…

This study examined the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding mental health provider's impact on student achievement and behavior in high poverty schools using descriptive statistics, t-test, and two-way ANOVA. Respondents in this study shared similar views concerning principal and teacher satisfaction and levels of support for the…

Current societal demands have increased the role of schools. The Family Resource and Youth Services Centers (FRYSC) seek to link students, families, and communities, using the school as the nexus for much needed services. The FRYSC offer a myriad of interventions aimed at removing non-academic barriers that hinder academic success for students…

One of every two children in the world lives in poverty, with no access to safe water, health services or adequate shelter to the extent that 25,000 children die every day. Thirty-seven million Americans, thirteen million of whom are children, live below the poverty level. Of the developed world, despite our wealth and sophistication, the United…

In 2007, the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) in the Mayor's Office of the City of New York mounted the first holistic Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) initiative in an economically advanced, services rich jurisdiction. The initiative is known as Opportunity NYC-Family Rewards (henceforth "Family Rewards"). CCTs offer cash assistance…