The nation faces an obesity crisis, especially among low-income children and children of color. Today, nearly one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, and physical inactivity is a leading cause of this epidemic. Equitable transportation policy that fosters healthy, opportunity-rich communities has a critical role to play in…

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) President Signs College Cost Reduction Act; (2) Galvanizing the Community: Charter Schools Provides Greater Choice to Colorado Latinos…

Describes the history of the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Dance Company, known as PHILADANCO, founded in the early 1970s by Joan Myers Brown at her Philadelphia School of Dance. PHILADANCO has sought to discover and train a corps of local Black dancers to build a strong dance company and important cultural institution. (AF)

This directory, produced by the California Tomorrow Immigrant Students Project, describes 75 model programs for the education of immigrant children in California. Program descriptions are grouped around the following nine theme chapters: (1) "The First Steps: Orientation/Assessment and Newcomer Support" focuses on orienting immigrant…

An ever-expanding body of social science research indicates that school is the single best avenue out of poverty, and educational achievement is now the most accurate predictor of a person's future economic success. Therefore, to help school districts, schools, parents, and community leaders improve the education of disadvantaged children, a wide…

Discusses Milwaukee's (Wisconsin) project for school choice. Describes the program of public funding for private schools, vouchers, and parent-run schools for African-American and Hispanic students. Cites autonomy, small class size, and values instruction as advantages of the small private schools. Reports graduation rates are higher and reading…

This guide offers guidance for mentoring programs and relationships serving gifted and/or talented students from multicultural and/or disadvantaged environments. After an introductory chapter which defines the mentor concept, Chapter 2 considers the mentoring relationship, racial/cultural differences, characteristics of economically disadvantaged…

This monograph reviews the role played by public policy in the education of gifted students. It describes the special rule making in identification, placement, program, and accountability. These rules emerge from legislation, court decisions, administrative rule making, and professional standards. Special problems involving racial discrimination,…

This updated version of a 1989 document of the same title represents a guide to the immigrant student's legal right of access to public schools based on the 1982 United States Supreme Court ruling in "Plyler v. Doe." Following an introduction, the first of three sections, "School Practices," addresses everyday school practices…

This manual is designed to support community organizations, concerned educators, and parents as they work to improve local public schools on behalf of immigrant students. Each chapter focuses on central elements of quality schooling from the perspective of the young immigrant. Within each chapter, an analysis of current conditions prevalent in…

Practices of attendance, suspension, and non-promotion in middle schools in Boston (Massachusetts) encourage at-risk students to drop out. School policies and practices, student data, and interviews with at-risk students were reviewed to determine which practices encourage disengagement from school. Personal narratives are included. Major findings…

This document tries to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the teaching and learning of science in order to provide parents and community leaders a base of information to help improve science education. Questions are posed in three major areas: science in American education; science in the classroom; and science in the home…

This report examines preschool and early primary education in the Chicago (Illinois) public schools, and its impact on disadvantaged minority children. Statistical data were gathered by a survey of 196 kindergarten teachers. For comparison, the survey was also sent to kindergarten teachers in Wilmette (Illinois), a Chicago suburb. Part 1,…