This book presents a review and synthesis of the early care and education system in the United States -- a system that now faces increasing enrollment, an underpaid workforce, and limited budgets. A substantial number of trained early care and education professionals are projected to leave the field over the next 10 years due to noncompetitive…

An important part of the strategies for reducing youth unemployment in Australia and the United States is to improve the education and training of young persons, especially those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. However, this approach fails to recognize that youth unemployment is also caused by the demographic bulge of youth entering the…

The aesthetic preferences of 224 Jamaican children and 558 previously-studied American children are reported in this paper. Both samples of subjects included male and female children from advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds. The age groups studied were 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds and a combined group of children 7-years-old and older. Each…

A review of the literature was conducted to identify the current status and direction of the effort to meet the individual needs of the disadvantaged student through vocational education. The major data source was the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) collections for the time period between 1960 and 1975. Data was subdivided into…

The policy of open school choice in the Netherlands has increased the isolation of ethnic minority students in urban public schools as white flight occurs. Parents and students tend to separate themselves from those who are different, a finding with implications for school choice in the United States. (SLD)

This collection offer a much-needed and critical focus on African Americans and women in the United States. The politics of race, gender, and power influence education at every level as these chapters, written primarily from the perspectives of students, demonstrate. The following are included: (1) "What Does It Mean? Exploring the Myths of…

Describes the chronically high youth unemployment rates, particularly among teenagers, and discusses a number of congressional proposals, such as a special youth Employment Program, a Youth Corps, and a Presidential Advisor on Youth. (WL)

The United States is as known for its high-quality universities as for its poor-quality public schools. Many states are taking steps to improve the likelihood that their children will succeed in grades K-12 by providing funding for pre-kindergarten (PK). More than $2.4 billion dollars is spent on these programs, and the number of children…

Many deep-rooted problems in urban areas of the United States--including crime, poverty, and poor health--correlate with illiteracy. The statistics reported by organizations such as the National Alliance for Urban Literacy Coalitions are telling. Urban citizens who cannot read sufficiently are at a clear disadvantage in life. They are more likely…

Many educational initiatives have been and continue to be based on a macro-social system understanding of communal roles, values, norms, interactions, perceptions, and realities. This practice neglects the unique impediments and social norms that exist within the myriad of micro-social systems in the United States. This work draws attention to the…

Effects of student grouping on academic achievement were examined in research among high school students in Israeli kibbutz schools, and in a nationwide sample of middle school students in Israel. Data analysis was based on a model developed from research findings in the United States, Sweden, Great Britain, and Israel. The treatment variable was…

This paper presents and evaluates the broad results of pre-school intervention experiments and programs aimed at fostering the intellectual and social development of "disadvantaged" groups. Among the general findings discussed are (1) there is a "sensitive," or even "critical," period in child development, an age at…

Teacher education programs throughout the United States are grappling with how to raise the achievement levels of children in diverse communities. The fact that urban schools show a downward trend in achievement levels among their student populations speaks to the gravity of the situation and brings to the forefront the need for more culturally…

"Rethinking Early Childhood Education" is alive with the conviction that teaching young children involves values and vision. This anthology collects inspiring stories about social justice teaching with young children. Included here is outstanding writing from childcare teachers, early-grade public school teachers, scholars, and parents.…

Focusing on follow-through, synthesis, dissemination, and application, this Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act plan for knowledge development in 1980 is divided into seven key sections. The first section presents projects which will require continued funding and refinement to realize their objectives. Section 2 provides a list of…