As subjects of numerous studies and research reports since the 1930s, Puerto Ricans in U.S. mainland schools have been portrayed as problems, as losers or disadvantaged, and as potentially at risk. This chapter documents the difficult educational history of Puerto Ricans, who have been in U.S.-controlled schools even in Puerto Rico since 1898, to…

Examines the nature of the crisis in child welfare, and how poverty and an array of social problems, as well as problems specific to the child welfare system, increased the overrepresentation of African American children and families in the out-of-home care system. Also discusses implications for child welfare practice and advocacy. (MOK)

Two cases of planned curriculum change are examined to illustrate the limits and possibilities of curriculum reform. One case used upgraded mathematics curriculum for low achieving, urban, U.S. secondary students. The other examined a national curricular reform in Scotland where secondary curricula and national examinations were closely aligned.…

Synthesizes research findings from 10 studies on urban homeless families; and details their demographic characteristics, including the number of children, race, ethnicity, and family composition. Focus is on mothers with children and the effects of homelessness on children. (SLD)

This paper offers an analysis of urban youth gangs and intervention and prevention strategies for schools, and describes an example of a Cleveland (Ohio) school-wide response. After reviewing the scope of the problem and recent attention to gangs and youth violence, the paper looks at why youth join gangs and lists 12 conditions. Another section…

This report documents the problems of Black and Latino males in New York City by assembling a broad range of data regarding the connections between the City's Black and Latino men and its social and economic institutions. The report draws primarily on data from federal surveys and administrative data from New York City and New York State agencies.…

The relationship among various characteristics of evaluation studies and their overall quality was studied using all of the evaluation studies (N=366) conducted in Israel over 30 years on special projects for disadvantaged students at the elementary school level. The following variables were defined to describe each study: (1) evaluation…

This paper analyzes the relationship between levels of educational attainment and outcomes for African American males, in particular the likelihood of conflict with the criminal justice system. The analysis begins with a look at society's belief system and political and economic forces, and argues that these have combined to promote failure among…

The efficacy of use of the Raven Progressive Matrices Test (RPM) in the selection of gifted children from traditionally underrepresented groups was investigated in a large-scale study with a diverse population. A total of 16,985 subjects were given the Raven Progressive Matrices Test. These included 22.7 percent Latinos, 37 percent Whites, 14…

Part 2 of this Australian newsletter from the National Clearinghouse on the Transition from School to Work contains 11 review papers offering perspectives from various authors on a youth policy. The first two papers, "Youth Policies" by Shears and Matthews and "Putting Youth into Youth Policy" by Clohesy, provide an overview of…

Based on the results of informal surveys conducted by each of four Technical Assistance Centers and several surveys and studies addressing the availability and use of computers and microcomputers in education, this paper examines the accessibility of computer technology to disadvantaged students in Chapter 1-assisted instructional programs. A…

Evidence suggests that limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are among those most likely to drop out of school. Inconsistencies in defining dropouts and limited research affect estimates of LEP dropouts. Factors increasing the dropout risk include: low level of English language competence; large school size; lower expectations of certain…

Examination of literature related to attitude theory, attitude development and change, attitudes and school achievement, and attitudes and their relationship to behavior reveals the following: (1) attitudes are learned predispositions to respond toward attitude objects; (2) because they are learned, attitudes are subject to change; and (3) even…

The economic, social and educational needs of rural youth in England and Wales are not being met. Rural youth are defined as all young people between the ages of 10 and 25 living in areas more than 30 miles from towns of 250,000 inhabitants, or 20 miles from towns whose population is between 50,000 and 250,000. The rapid decrease in the…

The views of proponents and opponents of the language deficit theory--the theory that nonstandard dialect is a deficient form of language--are presented in this paper. Following a description of the work of Basil Bernstein, a British educator who is considered the key figure among proponents of the theory, the paper presents an overview of the…