This paper discusses home visiting programs for low income parents and infants and describes five such programs known collectively as the Child Survival/Fair Start (CS/FS) projects, funded by the Ford Foundation. It describes a conceptual model which links risk factors and intervention activities to effects on mothers and children and explains how…

This study evaluated the predictive validity of the Caregiver's School Readiness Inventory (CSRI), a new screening measure developed for use in situations in which it may not be appropriate to employ traditional screening measures to identify preschool children at risk for school failure. The three items of the CSRI concern: (1) children's books…

This paper addresses the issue of multiculturalism in public schools and the role teacher education programs play in preparing teachers to create, implement, and evaluate curriculum and instruction responsive to the educational needs of diverse learners. Ethnographic interviews and observations were utilized to present a case study which…

The Center for Comprehensive Health Practice in the East Harlem area of New York City operates an early intervention program called the Infant School to promote the healthy development of high-risk children from birth to 2 years of age, including those of mothers who had been users of cocaine and/or crack. The Infant School curriculum is designed…

The latent structure, reliability, and item discrimination of 33 items on a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) instrument representing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were assessed. The study sample included 311 adolescents ranging from ages 12 to 19 years. Demographic characteristics of the…

Eating disorders are a complex physiological, psychological, and social illness. Since teachers and coaches should know the signs of eating disorders, some of the ways in which educators can recognize or prevent eating disorders are presented in this paper. Emphasis is placed on teachers and coaches familiarizing themselves with the five…

This case study, one of four, is part of a larger study, "Ethnographic Case Studies of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) of At-Risk Students in Middle School Classrooms." The study provides relevant case literature regarding CRP for the enhancement of preservice teacher education and describes the characteristics of a multicultural…

The Middle Childhood HOME (MC-HOME) Inventory is designed to measure the quality and quantity of stimulation and support available to a child in the home environment. It is an interview/questionnaire that is individually administered to the primary caregiver while the target child is awake and present. The instrument is intended to be a sensitive…

This paper presents findings from a 1991 study that collected descriptive data on over 209 African-American homeless children and youth in Seattle, Washington. A review of the literature indicates that disproportionate numbers of African-Americans are homeless. Discussion in the paper concerns risk factors and conditions that affect…

This qualitative study explored the effects of the Second Step Curriculum, designed to teach the social skills necessary for children to peacefully solve problems and resolve conflicts through empathy training, impulse control, and anger management. The study focused on teachers' perceptions of the program: what they perceived to be the program…

Efforts at one high school to reconsider its practices of ability grouping and explore alternative assessment and grouping practices are described. Assessment of the schools' practices found that students in lower ability groups had a less stimulating curriculum, fewer positive role models, lower motivation, lower expectations for themselves, and…

This paper reflects on lessons learned from the implementation of KAN Focus, a demonstration project to develop a system of care for children with severe emotional disturbance in rural southeast Kansas. It notes trends toward providing more and younger children with community-based support services which provide family centered services,…

This study examined the child-rearing practices of 28 mothers of at-risk, school-based competent kindergarten students. The study investigated the role of home curriculum and learning in the success of the at-risk children. The mothers were interviewed regarding the nature of the home learning environment, the quantity of television viewed, the…

This document is a report of a symposium whose participants are involved with the Home-School Study of Language and Literacy Development, a project engaged in a longitudinal study of 80 low-income families with preschool-aged children in Boston (Massachusetts). The project was designed to identify possible success factors for children from…

Today, society has a greater understanding of what constitutes children at risk. Unlike years past, educators within society can no longer take the luxury of ignoring students facing emotional and social challenges. Instead, they must respond quickly and positively to the needs of students faced with many of these challenges by developing…