Presents how the state of Kentucky has approached the escalating expenditures and overcrowded programs and facilities for juvenile justice and mental health care services. Discusses four state legislative initiatives developed to care for at-risk and delinquent youth that have greatly enhanced and expanded Kentucky's system of community-based…

Forward in the Fifth is an organization created to improve the quality of education in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, which had the lowest percentage of high school graduates in America. The organization has employed innovative ways to involve the whole community, resulting in widespread cooperation, as well as increased graduation rates…

This issue of the quarterly publication focuses on Achieving Secondary Education and Transition Results for Students with Disabilities. Editorial introduction notes that today's educational systems are being called upon to re-examine how they prepare students with disabilities for adult life. The shift toward greater participation by students with…

John Merrow, president of Learning Matters, Inc., has been reporting on K-12 education since 1974, but only recently has he begun to draw attention to higher education. This award-winning broadcaster is shedding light on the underbelly of higher education--and is arguing that something must be done before it's too late. This article presents the…

Kentucky's Family Resource and Youth Services Centers grew out of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990. They help families and children find local solutions to nonacademic problems interfering with student learning, providing support to public schools with at least 20 percent of their students qualifying for school lunch assistance (though…

Because schools falter when children's lives are deprived, resource centers link Kentucky's schools and homes. The centers reside at schools where at least 20 percent of the students receive free meals. Centers help families obtain reliable health and child care, among other things. Each facility is tailored to specific community needs. (SM)

This national and state review provides a synthesis of current thinking and practice concerning prekindergarten programs in public schools. Section I discusses the need for preschool programs in terms of the changing family and workforce, the baby "boomlet," and socioeconomic factors. Section II reviews early childhood programs,…

This report (based on testimony presented at a 1984 public hearing and a review of the literature on educational reform) addresses the role of equity in attaining effective public education, especially in Kentucky, by describing educational problems of that State. The basic premise is that excellence cannot be achieved without equity, and that…

Because increasing numbers of children come to school with problems caused by poverty, divorce, drug use, and teenage pregnancy, schools may no longer be able to limit themselves solely to academic roles. This brief argues that schools, families, and communities need to work together to help children overcome the challenges that they face. It also…

This annual publication is intended to help Kentucky parents and citizens stay informed on educational issues and to provide them with information and encouragement to be involved in the education of the children in their community. The guide includes information on the basics of the law for various school programs, Commonwealth Testing System and…