This research project was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in 2004 to examine barriers to vulnerable children accessing examinations at the end of key stage 4 and to identify strategies employed to overcome these barriers. Key groups of vulnerable children identified by the DfES included: (1) Looked-after children;…

Drinking on college campuses is more pervasive and destructive than many people realize. The extent of the problem was recently highlighted by an extensive 3-year investigation by the Task Force on College Drinking, commissioned by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The Task Force reports that alcohol consumption is…

This research brief describes the developmental risks present in a cohort of children coming into contact with the child welfare system between 1999 and 2000, as well as the services the children receive to address these risks. The findings are drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a unique study that provides…

Many teens experience a time when keeping up with school work is difficult. Some adolescents are able to get through this time with minimal assistance from their parents or teachers. However, when the difficulties last longer than a single grading period or are linked to a long-term pattern of poor school performance, parents and teachers may need…

In this chapter, a series of nested regression models are estimated to analyze three measures of adult socioeconomic attainment measured at age 29: (1) educational attainment; (2) occupational attainment; and (3) earnings. The models seek to relate risk, social capital, social-psychological factors, and life course events in early adulthood, both…

Noting that many communities in the United States have set the ambitious goal of enhancing school readiness, this report is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. Part 1 of the report summarizes recommendations from the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) for defining and assessing school readiness. The core…

Noting that adopted and foster children may have suffered early traumatic experiences, often expressed in emotional and behavioral problems that become increasingly problematic as the child approaches adolescence, this book presents strategies to help adoptive and foster parents deal with their youngsters' troubling behavior and to make them feel…

This set of briefs discusses state public policy and implications as they pertain to children in Georgia. The five briefs each address a single policy issue: kinship care, dental care, child care, special health care needs, and school health practice in Georgia. Each two-page brief provides background information on the issue, details the types of…

Based on findings that high-quality early care and education, youth development programs for after-school and summer hours, child abuse and neglect prevention, and intervention programs can help to prevent violence crime, this document presents a violence prevention plan for the schools and youth of Pennsylvania. Four actions are proposed to…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) makes it possible to build human capital resources by providing employment services and training to youth and adult dislocated workers. Such services are particularly needed in the rural South, where those affected by welfare reform have few job skills or educational credentials. WIA calls for the…

This study was conducted to identify the personality characteristics of high achieving developmental, or remedial, students and to discover how personality characteristics relate to academic performance among high-achieving developmental and non-developmental college students to determine if a correlation exists between personality and…

Examines the learning benefits of a learner-as-designer environment simulating a real-world multimedia production house and its impact on at-risk high school students. Students showed a significant growth in their value of intrinsic goals and achieved several critical design skills. The experience provided many students, who could not otherwise…

Presents guidelines for the center director's task of identifying and intervening on behalf of a child at risk, whether the risk be of neglect, abuse, or developmental delay. Emphasizes that the role of director is one of referral rather than of diagnosis, and discusses ideas for making a referral process as beneficial as possible.(AA)

Reviews textbook by Christina Szanton Blanc and others, incorporating viewpoints of students. Analyzes chapters focusing on particular countries, noting that the book sheds light on the old problem of disadvantaged children in postindustrial cities while also shedding new light on the more recent challenge of supporting human development in the…

Describes the findings of the Great Lakes Resource Access Project (RAP), whose purpose is to develop community collaborations among Head Start grantees, family service community agencies, and local education agencies. Presents 10 guidelines for establishing community partnerships, developing interagency agreements, and overcoming barriers. (SD)