The selections in this fifth volume of the series represent some of the current thinking and research on the education of the disadvantaged - a term no longer appropriate but retained in order to maintain the historical continuity of the series of which this anthology is a part. The selctions are chosen to show how society in general and the…

On the twentieth anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, it seems appropriate for the Commission on Civil Rights to commemorate the Supreme Court's decision with an examination of the civil rights progress between 1954 and 1974. The first report in the series provided a brief historical background. This second report covers equality of…

This report, one of a series which will become chapters of a larger study entitled "A Study of Our Nation's Students" (see TM 000 145 and TM 000 182), concerns itself with total variation between students (T), within school variation (W), and among school variability (A) in the dependent variables (Expectations for Excellence, Attitude…

To assess the effect of inequalities in school resource inputs on student achievement, a model is proposed which uses hypothetical experiments to compare, on the one hand, the average achievement of student groups with their present school resources and, on the other hand, estimates of their average achievement after their school inputs are…

The relative importance of family background, student-body, and teacher characteristics on the reading skill of white and black teenage students in public and private schools was assessed. Data gathered by the Current Population Survey of the U. S. Bureau of the Census was used to replicate the analysis reported in Chapter three of "Equality…

Examining the history of a "promotion by achievement" program begun in 1973-74 in Greensville County, Virginia, the authors argue that the effects of the program were not racially discriminatory as alleged by a 1980 suit that led to the program's termination in 1981. (JBM)

Maine should be very proud of its public school system. Without question, since passage of the Sinclair Act in 1957, Maine has made great strides in the last 45 years in improving the quality of its public schools, and in expanding educational opportunities for more and more of its children. Maine citizens have increased their investment four-fold…

All data sources indicate that black-white skill gaps diminished over most of the 20th century, but black-white skill gaps as measured by test scores among youth and educational attainment among young adults have remained constant or increased in absolute value since the late 1980s. I examine the potential importance of discrimination against…

In this paper, the Vice President for Instruction at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in North Carolina, and the president of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) in Utah discuss the dual-enrollment programs at their institutions. Central Piedmont's 15-year-old concurrent enrollment (CE) system encompasses two programs: Concurrent…

This paper identifies six core principles and recommends strategies that will foster high academic achievement, close the achievement gap, and promote civic and personal growth among all high-school-age youth in the high schools and communities. At the center of the framework is the Alliance's belief that the purpose of high school is to ensure…

The lesson learned form Coleman I and II is that policy making is not a kind of linear transmission of research findings into policy decisions. Social science research can heighten the awareness among policy makers and the general public of aspects of social issues and help to reconceptualize certain aspects. (MLW)

Educational opportunity is often based on standardized testing and normative educational structures, which can perpetuate labeling and inequality. Rather than force students to conform to fixed expectations and models, schools must assure the delivery of educational services to all students through individualized instruction and alternative…

Identifies some of the salient characteristics of American private schools. Examines possible effects that the status composition of the student body might have in influencing the educational opportunity structure. Raises questions about the educational and social equity of supporting private schools financially through school choice mechanisms…

Explores female and male students' attitudes toward school work in terms of application and achievement, using data from interviews with students, teachers, careers officers, and welfare officers in three semirural public schools in England. Results suggest a problem of "equalizing opportunities" for all young people, rather than…

The state-administered grant program authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, is the major source of federal support for adult basic and literacy education programs. The purpose of the program is to provide educational opportunities to adults sixteen…