This short description contributes to better understanding of vocational education and training (VET) in Portugal, by providing insight into its distinctive features and highlighting system developments and current challenges. VET in Portugal offers a wide range of programmes, flexible in type and duration. Promoting equal opportunities and…

Noncommunicable disease (NCD), principally cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes, constitutes the major cause of death worldwide. Evidence of a continuing increase in the global burden of these diseases has generated recent urgent calls for global action to tackle and reduce related death and disability. Because the…

Youth suicidal behavior continues to be a significant national problem in need of urgent attention by school personnel. The purpose of this introductory article to the special series is to provide an overview of youth suicidal behavior, including research-based information on demographic data; risk factors and warning signs; and where, when, and…

Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TG) provides critical support to schools, students, and borrowers at every stage of the federal student aid process--from providing information on how to pay for a higher education including financial aid options, to facilitating successful loan repayment after graduation. This 2016 issue of "State…

This report presents indicators that are included in DC Action for Children's 2012 KIDS COUNT e-databook, their definitions and sources and the rationale for their selection. The indicators for DC KIDS COUNT represent a mix of traditional KIDS COUNT indicators of child well-being, such as the number of children living in poverty, and indicators of…

Discusses reasons for increased focus on prekindergarten programs, their importance for children at risk, and components of high-quality programs. Describes the preschool curriculum, kindergarten readiness, and reasons why public schools should be involved in prekindergarten programs. (Contains 28 references.) (PKP)

Florida's children face the same health and welfare issues found in many other states. Changing family structure, growing poverty among families with young children, limited access to health and social services, an expanding immigrant population, and a tough state budget situation make focusing on children increasingly important for policymakers.…

Many risks for suicidal behavior, identified in population samples, are elevated in justice youth. We examined whether risks operate similarly in a justice sample. We measured suicidal behavior and disorder on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children in 991 randomly selected youths, and examined associations between demographic, offense, and…

This Massachusetts Kids Count report focuses on child abuse and neglect in the state of Massachusetts and presents recommendations for alleviating stressors contributing to child maltreatment. The report presents incidence information and identifies the impact of child abuse on future risk status. In addition, the report differentiates the 12…

Noting that the U.S. child poverty rate is no longer declining, this research brief uses 2001 Census data to present a statistical portrait of poor children in the United States. The research brief also highlights some consequences of poverty for children and considers promising approaches for decreasing poverty among low-income children and their…

Although the children in Texas face health and welfare issues common to other states, such as changing family structures, poverty, expanding immigrant populations, and tight budgets, there are unique aspects to Texas that must be factored in. These include having 254 counties, the largest rural population of any state, and a 46 percent increase in…

For people in the United States, the risk of dependency upon social and economic support systems is generally associated with demographic characteristics--age, sex, race or ethnicity, geographic location, marital status, family composition, education, and income. In order to address the needs of dependent populations both now and in the century…

In 1995, a report on the Washington state juvenile justice system found that minority youth were four times more likely than white youth to be sentenced to confinement. This report reviews aspects of disproportionality in Washington's juvenile justice system, summarizes inquiries by the Washington Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil…

This paper draws on demographic data on children spotlighted in the 2000 Census (called the Childrens Class of 2000) to examine how forces like poverty and family instability work to prevent equality of opportunity in school and in life. The paper describes some programs and techniques that effectively reduce the effects of these forces and…

Noting that child poverty has been a persistent problem for Arkansas children despite improvements in the economy, this Kids Count special report focuses on child poverty in Arkansas. The report examines how child poverty is measured and notes the limitation of existing poverty data; it also discusses the causes and consequences of poverty and…