In this article, the author takes an inside look at efforts in Worcester, Massachusetts to offer families the opportunities promised by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Worcester is the third largest school system in the state of Massachusetts, serving roughly 25,000 students in 46 public schools (36 elementary, 4 middle, 5 high, and one…

Dropout Reduction through Education, Achievement, and Motivation (Project DREAM) was designed to serve the needs of Latino immigrants who had scored at or below the 40th percentile on the Language Assessment Battery. The design-incorporating plans for group and individual guidance sessions to help students improve their interpersonal skills. It…

Those involved in early childhood development must recognize that many of their most cherished beliefs about what is best for children are cultural constructions. This book focuses on quality in large-scale programs for disadvantaged young children in a variety of cultural settings. Chapter 1, "Changing Childhoods," discusses issues…

This report describes a study of the planning, development, and implementation of the first 61 Chapter 1 schoolwide projects established in 1989 in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District, and presents case studies of 6 of those schools. Schools in which 75 percent or more of the students are from low-income families can choose to spend…

The Kansas state plan for the education of homeless youth and children provides operational strategies to help local school districts and attendance centers facilitate an environment that is conducive to meeting this population's special needs. The plan confronts barriers to homeless children and youth to provide them with public education that is…

A comprehensive portrait of the Bronx (New York City) and schooling provided there is presented. The background paper, "Education in the Bronx," and "Socioeconomic Profile of the Bronx" are provided, which present data about the schools and conditions in which the 1.2 million Bronx residents live. Enrollment demographics, test…

This essay describes charter school development and the 3-year Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Schools Collaborative, which worked with educators and parents to transform comprehensive high schools, increase student outcomes, and establish teacher engagement and parental involvement. Charter schools (intellectual and emotional communities of adults,…

The West Virginia Department of Education created and implemented a computer-assisted summer remediation program for Job Training Partnership Act-eligible students who were academically deficient. The curriculum had four components: mathematics computation, reading comprehension, personal guidance, and career exploration. Sites in 12 county school…

Beginning in 1981, the Bay Shore (New York) School District initiated comprehensive changes in its instructional program. The process, which involved long range planning for 1982-1987 and 1987-1992, used focus groups, survey data, community input, and school-based feedback. Several of the overall goals of these plans are concerned with assuring…

This report attempts to demonstrate that dropouts follow a path inverse to the one that students follow to academic excellence by presenting a review of literature pertaining to dropouts and students at risk. It examines the process by which at-risk students are separated from academic excellence, and attempts to understand the factors behind…

A program designed to improve the reading, writing, and thinking skills of low achieving poverty level high school juniors was developed for use in a Pennsylvania high school. The program uses the Pennsylvania Reading Comprehension Plan's four critical experiences of (1) responding to literature, (2) self-selected and sustained silent reading, (3)…

This guide, based on experiences in five Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act (YEDPA) programs, is designed to show teachers, school administrators, job training and placement personnel and others how the experiential learning techniques of Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) are being successfully adapted to meet the needs of…

The Peninsula Academies program operates two schools within schools, the electronics academy and the computer academy, in a three-year high school program for disadvantaged students labeled as potential dropouts in San Mateo County, California. A review of the performance of the Peninsula Academies program during its second year of operation…

As part of Project IMPACT's efforts to develop procedures for complying with the impact requirements of Public Law 94-482, a case study was made of the Illinois Network of Exemplary Occupational Education Programs for Handicapped and Disadvantaged Students. The purpose of the Network was to expand the quantity and quality of special needs…

This report provides descriptions and statistics on Georgia's ten Youth Development Centers designed for the care of delinquent children. Title I courses include business education, cultural enrichment, small appliance, furniture repair, and basic skills, with an emphasis on the latter. Results of the enrichment courses fall in the cognitive,…