This ethnographic research examines the sociocultural and educational experiences of migrant youth living in liminality in urban Yangon. Their liminality exemplifies the interplay between poverty, social-choice of dropping out of school and the militant culture of schooling. The research argues that narratives provide comprehensive understandings…

Due to its close links to the labour market, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) can play an important role to improve job opportunities and livelihoods for young people, and in particular for disadvantaged youth. However, this potential is not always fully realized, and relatively little research and evidence has been collected…

Issue 4 of the Australian Council for Educational Research's (ACER's) "Policy Insights" series commences with a synthesis of publicly available data on school attendance by Indigenous Australians, highlighting areas of major risk. It explores Australian and international literature to develop an understanding of the risk factors and…

This article presents a model of teacher research supported by academic partners to develop a better understanding of the barriers to education faced by young people growing up in poverty. It critiques politicians' demands for teachers to "close the gap" for ignoring the cumulative intergenerational effects of deprivation. The authors…

The "Assisted Places Scheme" was introduced in 1980 by the Conservative Government to provide a "ladder of opportunity" for academically able students from poor homes. Over the next 17 years, more than 75,000 pupils received means-tested assistance from public funds to attend the most selective and prestigious private schools…

Data from the NLSY (National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) were analyzed to test two competing hypotheses regarding how poverty affects the relationship between delinquency and educational attainment. The cumulative disadvantage perspective argues that poor youth suffer greater consequences for their involvement in delinquency than middle and…

Urban academic excellence is usually reflection of culture of success, created within stable, supportive family that places highest value on love and education. Self-leadership can help urban youngsters avoid high-risk behavior, defer immediate gratification, enjoy solitude and reflection, and resist going along with the crowd. Urban…

This paper reviews literature on the growth in after-school programs, reasons for their growth, and what these programs hope to accomplish It also addresses what is known about what works, program costs, and implications for policy. Overall, the forces behind increased funding and activity in after-school programs could be characterized in two…

This Policy Brief describes and explains patterns of access to schools in Ghana. It outlines policy and legislation on access to education and provides an analysis of access, vulnerability and exclusion. It is based on findings from the Country Analytic Report on Access to Basic Education in Ghana (Akyeampong et al, 2007) [ED508809] which can be…

This monograph is the first in a series of reports related to the Successful Secondary Schools Study in three Canadian provinces, a study that will contribute to high student achievement outcomes for students of low socioeconomic status. This document provides a synopsis of the literature and research dealing with successful and effective schools,…

Since home is the most unequal environment in education, school should be an arena of equity. Alternative education can catalyze America's unrealized hopes by helping poor, discouraged youngsters overcome their most debilitating handicaps: rampant pessimism, failure to trust in effort, and mistrust of societal institutions. Doing nothing is not an…

The aims of the Teacher Corps are (1) to strengthen educational opportunities for children in areas with concentrations of low-income families; (2) to attract and prepare persons to become teachers in such areas through coordinated work-study experiences; and (3) to encourage colleges and universities, schools, and state departments of education…

Research that studied 120 youth organizations in 34 different communities discovered that most disadvantaged participants gained academic life skills lasting into early adulthood. Schools can help by sharing space and facilities, establishing institutional collaborations, connecting mutual goals, supporting teacher participation, and developing…

The Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education (OACHE) is a consortium of 10 public colleges and universities that funds proposals from regional schools for creative initiatives that encourage students toward postsecondary education. College attendance rates from Appalachian Ohio have increased, and the OACHE model is being applied to programs…

Despite the critical failure of many urban schools to educate poor children and children of color, there are examples of schools and teachers who help students meet challenging academic standards in a supportive, culturally responsive, and empowering context. This paper represents one such success story of a teacher's efforts to nurture his…