This report looks at the accomplishments of Children First America, a national advocacy and support group for school choice. Beginning with a single program in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the early 1990s, private voucher programs (PVPs) had grown until, in the 1999-2000 school year, 108 such programs aided students. PVPs, which served 746 students…

This book is a comprehensive guide to the philosophy, organization, and management of a mentoring program for African American girls. It is based on a program sponsored by the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston (Texas). This program matches between 25 and 50 young women with Christian women mentors. The program emphasizes Christian values,…

The Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship is given annually by The Heritage Foundation to recognize extraordinary efforts by American citizens who are helping their communities solve problems the government has been unable to solve. The 1999 Salvatori Prize has been awarded to seven principals who prove that there is no excuse for the failure…

This bulletin offers data on recent trends in juvenile violence, juvenile drug offenses, and gang-related juvenile offending, and describes prosecutorial responses to such offenses. Examples of promising prosecutor-led programs combating the illicit use of guns, violence, drugs, and gangs are also provided. These examples provide a range of ideas…

This report presents both a framework for understanding positive factors that contribute to the healthy development of young people, termed "developmental assets," and a portrait of 6th-to-12th-grade youth based on that framework. The report analyzes and interprets data from 99,462 youth in 213 communities collected during the 1996-97 school year.…

This paper describes the economic status of the African American family in Cleveland (Ohio) and in the United states as a whole and describes a model of interactions of social forces and economic factors that have influenced the declining earnings of African American families. The proportion of African American families in poverty in the United…

The problem of inadequate budgetary support for municipal recreation and park departments has been aggravated by new austerity measures. A study of administrative issues in 68 cities indicated that college and university educators should focus on professional preparation programs that adjust to these new limitations responsively and innovatively.…

Describes a three-tiered approach that the Omega Boys Club of San Francisco uses to help stop violence among inner-city youth. Essential steps of the plan are to provide appropriate information through effective communication channels, to show youth alternative ways of living that allow them to release their negative behavior, and to teach them…

School counselors working with Ebonics-speaking youth must assume the role of consultants to, and collaborators with, teachers and students toward increasing and improving students' use of Standard English without depreciating their culturally-based dialect and improving the teacher/student relationship in the language-learning process.…

Describes the Book Club of Reading Connection, a nonprofit organization in Virginia, that gives books to children in homeless shelters and for up to one year after they leave the shelter. The key to the book club's effectiveness and its longevity is communication between the Reading Connection and the families. (SLD)

Draws on quotes and ethnographic material from many studies to illustrate some of the parenting strategies that help inner-city African American youth overcome risks and achieve success. Groups strategies that are: (1) youth-monitoring; (2) resource-seeking; and (3) in-home learning. (SLD)

Juxtaposes research on school-age programs with studies of self-care and out-of-school activities, discussing what each type of after-care arrangement involves and how prevalent it is. Reviews research on how the arrangements contribute to children's development and examines program features especially related to outcomes for children. (SLD)

Provides a profile of after-school programs for low-income children, focusing on supply and demand, program emphases, and program sponsors and support organizations. Discusses the major challenges facing the field in the areas of facilities, staffing, and financing. Illustrates the discussion with examples from an after-school initiative in three…

Uses research by J. Singer (1998) and M. Murphy and A. Singer (1996) to address issues related to the preparation of teachers to work in urban schools and with members of officially designated minority groups. Comparison of the two studies suggests that teachers with backgrounds very different from their students can become successful teachers of…

Discusses research on the influence of social resources, such as parent, teacher, and school support, on the resilient outcomes of children and adolescents. Findings from the studies considered show the importance of social resources and the need for effective programs of intervention. (SLD)