Describes initiatives undertaken by the Job Corps in recent years to improve the educational abilities of the enrollees served, and reports results of various research efforts to examine the effectiveness of some of these initiatives. Evidence suggests that Job Corps initiatives have improved basic skills of students. (SLD)

This article describes and assesses the effectiveness of a 3-yr, laboratory-based summer science program to improve the academic performance of inner-city high school students. The program was designed to gradually introduce such students to increasingly more rigorous laboratory experiences in an attempt to interest them in and model what…

The interests of two different at-risk populations in Pennsylvania are compared. Both urban minorities and rural youth participated in programs designed to motivate them to continue their education. Participants (52 rural and 30 urban middle school students) completed an interest survey as part of the program orientation. Although the rural youth…

This document presents the effects of variations of a schoolwide restructuring program, Success for All, on student reading achievement and other outcomes in elementary schools serving large numbers of disadvantaged students. Success for All uses research-based preschool and kindergarten programs, beginning and intermediate reading programs in…

This book compares Israeli and U.S. programs to integrate high-risk youth into society. An introduction offers background on the context for such programs in Israel and the United States. Chapter 1, "Changing Youths' Attitudes: Well-Meaning Attempts in the United States," describes programs lacking a key long-term component. Chapter 2,…

This study evaluated the training in conflict resolution (CR) and cooperative learning (CL) of about 180 students in an alternative high school (AHS) in New York City. The qualitative methodology included direct observations of students' daily routines, systematic observations of special events, and interviews with key faculty and staff members.…

At the margins of American education are students with unusual needs who challenge teachers to the limits of their commitments, insights, and skills. This paper considers the marginalized students in inner-city schools and suggests ways to improve education for them and for all students. There are disproportionate numbers of racial and ethnic…

Interest in the quality of after-school programs has been increasing. It is recognized that, in urban and low-income areas, after-school programs are essential to counteract the effects of a number of factors contributing to a student's lack of opportunities and ability to succeed academically. However, information on the types of programs that…

A study was done to evaluate the social validity of the interventions of conflict resolution and cooperative learning at three campuses of an alternative inner-city high school in New York City. The evaluation explored students' and teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness and applicability of the interventions in their lives. Extensive…

A study was done of the effects of cooperative learning and conflict resolution on the student perception of the social climate at three campuses of an alternative high school in New York City. The study looked at the effect on one campus that received 2 years of conflict resolution training, another campus that received 2 years of cooperative…

This document reports the findings of the 1990-91 process evaluation of the Saginaw, Michigan Early Childhood Education Preschool (MECEP) program for 4-year-olds at risk of academic failure. As of January 18, 1991, a total of 285 pupils were participating in the program at 8 sites. The overall goal of the program is to provide 4-year-olds with an…

The Healthy for Life (HFL) program was an efficacy test of an adolescent health promotion program designed specifically for use with middle school students. Four conceptually distinct, but inter-related, components were designed to influence young adolescents in school, with their peers, in their families, and in the communities. HFL was unique in…

Evaluation after two years of Project RAISE, a multifaceted program with seven community sponsors in the large Baltimore (Maryland) school district, indicates the effectiveness of using community adults as advocates and mentors in improving student attendance and some report card grades, but not promotion rates or standardized test scores. (SLD)

The Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) research demonstration was initiated in 1984 to test the effects of a two-summer remediation, work, and life skills intervention on the lives of 14- and 15-year-olds from poor urban families who were already seriously behind academically. The program provided youth with half-day summer jobs combined…

A study was done of the success of the San Diego (California) public school detracking program, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), by measuring the students' college enrollment. The AVID program was developed as an alternative to compensatory education and remedial tracking for underachieving high school students, especially those…