This article, the second in a two-part series, provides an overview of the literature regarding first-generation college students (FGCS), which has been largely based on studies of students in public universities. The author shares outcomes from structured dialogues with FGCS attending Christian universities. The students described how their…

Some segments of the United States population, such as adults with low literacy skills and disadvantaged youths, face barriers in making the transition into and through postsecondary education, including community college and career training, and these barriers can keep them locked in low-wage jobs. Can transition assistance help them enter and…

Lumina Foundation For Education has funded many efforts to improve the educational outcomes of students, institutions and agencies in higher education. In addressing systemic issues in education achievement--and specifically college completion--Lumina has been a leading organization supporting initiatives to understand and overcome the many,…

We examined the association of orphanhood and completion of compulsory school education among young people in South Africa. In South Africa, school attendance is compulsory through grade 9, which should be completed before age 16. However, family and social factors such as orphanhood and poverty can hinder educational attainment. Participants were…

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. The Foundation endeavors to improve the life options of all students, especially underserved urban youth of color, whom we refer to as "Our…

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, an effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. The report was created collaboratively by researchers from McRel with guidance from officers of the Stupski Foundation. Its purpose is to provide members of…

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. This document synthesizes recent research and theoretical literature on effective strategies for supporting urban, underserved students'…

This study used longitudinal data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) to examine the role of neighbourhood quality, assessed when cohort members were aged five, in boys' and girls' school leaving age. It was expected that, since context is in general more strongly predictive of boys' rather than girls' behaviour, neighbourhood quality would…

This study examines the different types, and effectiveness, of collaboration used by providers to widen participation in further education and training in England between 2001 and 2003. The first section, an introduction, sets a scene for the study and definitions are offered for the main terminology--collaboration and widening participation. The…

As schools struggle to meet federal achievement standards, after-school programs are increasingly viewed as a potential source of academic support for youth at risk of school failure. The hope among youth advocates and policymakers is that after-school programs can partially compensate for the inequities that plague the nation's schools and play a…

You won't see any cutting-edge pedagogy at the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Academy in East Orange, New Jersey. You won't hear staff talking about or practicing the latest-of-the-latest ideas and innovations. What you will see, if you watch quietly, is the slow but solid construction of a school that works for economically disadvantaged children. You…

The objective of this report is to review studies that report language and literacy outcomes associated with preschool curriculum-based interventions. Results from studies reporting on interventions targeting preschool children from low-income families were included regardless of the specific type of program. Although the majority of preschool…

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. This report synthesizes recent research and theoretical literature on using best practices related to formative assessment to support urban…

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. The Foundation endeavors to improve the life options of all students, especially underserved urban youth of color by fundamentally redesigning…

The upcoming Congressional reauthorization of the Early Head Start program provides an opportunity to focus on what can be done to achieve even greater impacts for infants, toddlers, and families in Early Head Start. In this policy brief, the Zero to Three Policy Center presents its recommendations for Congressional action and discusses scientific…