This paper highlights three major aspects of recent trends in immigration and their impact on schools: high sustained flows, growing geographic dispersal, and an increase in undocumented immigration. It focuses on such topics as who comes to the United States (legal, humanitarian, and undocumented immigrants); demographic context (income level and…

This study documents the redistribution that began about 1980 of responsibilities for financing higher education from social resources to private resources. It also examines the issues of affordability of higher education that arises from this shift in financial responsibility. Five sets of national data from different sources are examined to…

To examine equity issues involving proposed Federal income tax credits for private school tuition, the author uses data from the Bureau of the Census and other governmental sources to estimate the effects of tuition tax credit (TTC) plans. After discussing equity and educational policy, he compares would-be TTC recipients--private school families…

An evaluation of New York State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), a need-based grant program, is presented. A program overview covers goals, eligibility criteria, information on award amounts, and the legislative authority. Attention is directed to (1) the degree to which TAP helps low-income and middle-income students cover tuition costs and…

This study examined characteristics of the student bodies of highly selective and less-selective colleges and universities specifically those related to race and socioeconomic status (SES) and the possible effects of replacing race and ethnicity with SES as a method for ensuring student diversity. The study used data from the Cooperative…

Comparing Hmong families with other ethnic or cultural groups (whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other Asians), this study examined family-related supports and risks in a low-income, ethnically diverse sample of 242 children entering kindergarten in St. Paul, Minnesota. All kindergarten children from 23 kindergartens in 6 elementary…

This study examines characteristics of Hispanic females in single- and dual-headed households in an effort to understand the impact of the feminization of poverty on Hispanic Americans of Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican origin. The following aspects of these women are examined: (1) sociodemographic characteristics; (2) language of interview; (3)…

The motivations of adult learners who were not admitted to college degree programs but who chose to take credit courses on a part-time basis were studied, with attention to the relationship of motivational orientations and sociodemographic variables (sex, race, age, and family income level). The study population of 464 part-time students 25 years…

Canadian families differ from one another to the degree that it is now customary for researchers, helping professionals, teachers, and others to declare their interest in families, not "the family." The proliferation of different family forms has led some, who disregard the fact that the traditional family has had a very brief history,…

This paper briefly explores current assumptions about the structure and functions of the modern American family and indicates new social, economic and psychological forces which are influencing parents. Also suggested are areas of concern related to the provision of family support services. (RH)

The research discussed in this speech was undertaken to demonstrate the relationship between the per pupil expenditure and the community attributes of education, occupation, and income in New York State and the relationship between community attributes and tax rate. In addition, analyses of tax rate and expenditure level were undertaken. The…

Equal access in public higher education is discussed because the public system is more susceptible to modification through changes in public policy. Related issues are: (1) selectivity of public institutions; (2) student characteristics; (3) educational resources and benefits; (4) student financial aid; (5) educational expenditures; and (6)…

Evaluates the first two years of a local welfare reform demonstration, the Family Development Center (FDC), in Baltimore (Maryland). This quasi-experimental study found the FDC successful in programs designed to increase labor market participation and earnings. FDC participants experienced increases in educational aspirations, self-esteem, and…

The ecological perspective suggests that distal socioeconomic status (SES) actually affects young children via the more proximate influences of parental beliefs and the quality of their home environments. A diverse sample of 189 kindergarten children, their families, and their schools provided data on SES indices, parental beliefs, the quality of…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summaries data collected from 273 North Dakota farm operators (a 39% response) and 232 spouses (a 33% response) as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states. The…