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Recently, a number of evaluations of private school voucher programs in the United States have reported achievement gains for voucher users, especially African Americans. These studies tend to be structured as Randomized Field Trials (RFTs), where participants are assigned to treatment (offered a voucher) and control (not offered a voucher) groups by lottery. A major advantage of RFTs is that the randomization process controls for a number of factors, measurable and unmeasurable, that otherwise might confound the assessment of voucher effects. A major shortcoming of RFTs is that they tend to be black-box evaluations that inform policy analysts little about why or how a policy intervention yields benefits downstream. Data are used from the second year RFT of the District of Columbia privately funded voucher program, supplemented by information obtained from the schools that participating students attended, to identify what school features or practices might be boosting the achievement of voucher students. This preliminary analysis suggests that especially dedicated teachers, a higher proportion of white and higher-income students, and more demanding homework assignments may be the characteristics of private schools that increase the academic achievement of inner-city school voucher users. Additional analyses are recommended before firm conclusions are drawn regarding what happens inside the black box of school voucher experiments. Appended are variables used in the analysis. (Contains 7 tables and 25 references.) (Author/BT)

This report summarizes short-term impacts of the Quantum Opportunity Program (QOP) demonstration, which helped at-risk high school-age youth graduate and enroll in postsecondary education or training. QOP involved intensive case management and mentoring emphasizing after school supplemental academic education, developmental activities, and community service. It served a single cohort of youth from ninth grade in 1995 through fall 2000. A local community based organization in each of six inner city communities and one rural community teamed with a school to implement and operate a QOP program. The study examined how well the program was implemented at each site, how much it cost, how much time enrollees spent on program activities, and how QOP affected enrollees in the short term. Data from site visits, QOP conferences, conference calls with QOP staff, and student surveys indicated that QOP achieved short-term success in raising high school completion rates and enrollment in postsecondary education or other training. It did not improve grades and achievement test scores or reduce risky behaviors. QOP benefited enrollees in the middle of the eligible grade distribution more than enrollees at the top or bottom. Most enrollees attended very few program activities. Impact varied by site. Impacts for the whole QOP demonstration were substantially attributable to the impacts of two sites. (SM)

This report documents the work of Amachi, a mentoring program for children of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Volunteers are recruited from inner-city congregations to provide one-to-one mentoring to the children. Beyond being the source of mentors, the congregations are a key part of the initiative. Information for this report comes from interviews with program developers, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Amachi staff, pastors, church volunteer coordinators, and mentors. This report describes challenges and successes of the Amachi model, focusing on the structure of the program in Philadelphia; describes the steps involved in transforming Amachi from plan to reality, highlighting the strategies for recruiting children, pastors, and volunteers; and examines the experiences of mentors and mentees and the challenges and successes of the matches thus far. A combination of four factors was essential (structure, management, commitment, and resources). One partner was an organization that had substantive experience with mentoring and could provide the necessary infrastructure. The partnership between secular and faith-based organizations was designed to be a "true partnership." There was leadership that was able to bridge the faith and secular communities. A firm system of accountability was key to success. (Contains 11 references and 23 endnotes.) (SM)

The move toward standards-based instruction calls for greater student involvement in the learning process. Cooperative learning is widely used as many standards-based school departments advocate greater employment of constructivist classrooms as the most appropriate vehicle of instruction. During academic year 2002-03, 42 students from California State University Hayward's (CSUH) teacher education credential program, in conjunction with the Build a Future Without AIDS program at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, taught a conflict resolution curriculum/AIDS education curriculum to inner city public high school students who were part of an alternative school program for adjudicated youth. The CSUH students randomly assigned public school students to groups of four, which were then divided into two pairs. Each pair was assigned a pro or con position on a curricular issue. They researched, presented, and discussed their positions, critically analyzed their opponents' positions, and rebutted their opponents' attacks. Then, they reversed perspectives and presented persuasive arguments again. Finally, they synthesized different facts and ideas into a single position. Researchers collected data on students' attitudes toward collaboration and perceptions of the teacher-student relationship. Students also responded to a conflict resolution scenario. Results indicated that students in the treatment classes outperformed their counterparts in achieving stronger AIDS education and conflict management skills. (Contains 11 reference.) (SM)

This study examined the interplay between individual and organizational learning in school, noting factors that motivated and constrained the dissemination of teachers' learning. Information came from a larger qualitative study that explored how individual teachers' learning in a middle school instructional technology project was disseminated to other organizational members. Ten participating teachers completed a survey about their backgrounds, technological skills, technology use in instruction after participating in the Educators' Electronic Learning Community, and sharing of knowledge with colleagues. Next, participants completed interviews on knowledge, skills, and insights gained through participation in the project; methods used to share learning with colleagues; and factors affecting their ability to share information. Finally, they completed surveys that had them rate the strength of motivating and restraining factors. Results highlighted the power of the "practicality ethic" and the impact of longstanding school norms on teachers' decisions to learn and disseminate their learning to colleagues. The most influential factors included collegial relationships and reactions, time, beliefs and attitudes about learning and sharing, classroom benefits to teachers and students, and teachers' individual levels of technology competence. Motivating factors related to teachers' professional judgments, attitudes, and relationships. Constraining factors were external and related to the structure of the school day and year. (Contains 42 references.) (SM)

This study proposes the creation of Education Empowerment Zones (EEZs) in Ohio's major cities as part of a strategy to reestablish the competitive advantage of the inner city. Combining community schools and an expanded education voucher available to the middle class, EEZs could lead revitalizing efforts by enticing middle-income families with children back into the inner city. This report uses Cleveland as a case study to provide a general framework and assess the potential impacts of implementing EEZs. Chapters include: "The Role of Education in Urban Redevelopment" (economic benefits of good schools and neighborhood integration and stability); "Choice and Quality Schools" (effects of choice expansion on school performance and the overall effects of increasing school choice in Ohio cities); "Effects on Cities" (economic diversity and city tax base and receipts); "Expanding Choice: The Case of Cleveland" (Cleveland's strengths, the impact of expanding choice on enrollment, the fiscal impact of expanding choice, the short-term costs of EEZs, and phasing in EEZs); "Expanding Choice in Other Ohio Cities"; and "Funding the Transition." An appendix presents complete calculations for other major Ohio cities. (Contains 48 endnotes and 9 tables.)(SM)

This paper examines what researchers have learned from teachers about high quality instruction for poor second language learners. It begins by describing the Vygotskian notion of responsivity. Next, it describes specific practices and guidelines, focusing on: differentiating instruction; understanding teachers' responsibility for knowing about students' lives; expecting the most and avoiding the deficit model; implementing curriculum that is meaningful to all students; recognizing knowledge of two languages and cultures; and being aware of default curriculum. The third section explains how to look beyond reading instruction, explaining that while differentiating instruction can improve the chances for all children to succeed, there are some larger societal issues that need to be part of the conversation (poverty, anti-immigrant and anti-bilingualism sentiments, lack of resources, and environmental hazards). The paper asserts that support networks of teachers and administrators are critical for rethinking curriculum and the role of teachers and administrators in larger community issues to best serve the needs of poor, inner city, second language learners. (SM)

The problems faced by out-of-school young adults in the United States and the policy implications of those problems were examined. The analysis was based on a review of pertinent publications and statistical data from various government agencies and other sources. The study documented that the past decade has witnessed areas of progress, stagnation, and decline in the educational and labor market arenas for the nation's young adults. The likelihood of a young adult being out of school and out of work in 2001 varied widely by educational attainment, race/ethnicity, family income and background, and geographic location, with high school dropouts from low-income families in the nation's largest central cities facing joblessness rates of 70-80%. The labor market lessons of the 1990s revealed that strong economic growth and the attainment of full employment conditions in labor markets are clearly necessary but not sufficient to solve all youth labor market problems. Improving labor market prospects for the nation's and central cities' young adults especially those with limited postsecondary education in the coming decade will likely prove more formidable than in the previous decade because of forthcoming demographic developments, the U.S. labor market's current weakness, and ongoing changes in the structure of the so-called New American Economy. (Contains 71 tables/figures and 71 footnotes.) (MN)

This report describes the New Song Academy, led by New Song Urban Ministries (NSUM), which serves preK-8 children in Baltimore, Maryland, and promotes quality education for urban students through partnerships with families and the community. It operates year-round in six 6-week sessions. Despite the often chaotic nature of children's lives outside of school, the Academy averages a daily attendance rate of 98 percent. Children receive the intellectual, social, and physical basis they need to become community leaders. The school uses a home-schooling curriculum from Calvert School, which focuses on the fundamentals of language arts, and a school design developed by Expeditionary Learning/Outward Bound, which emphasizes hands-on learning and intimate, caring, interpersonal relationships. Through partnerships with outside organizations, the school brings the outside world and its resources into the community while encouraging linkages in the other direction. This report includes: (1) "A Snapshot of New Song Academy" (curricula, instruction, activities, and staffing); (2) "A History of New Song Academy and New Song Urban Ministries" (NSUM mission, core components, governance, and resources); (3) "New Song Academy's Accomplishments and Themes"; and (4) "Lessons from New Song Urban Ministries and New Song Academy." (SM)

This study investigated the educational circumstances of Aboriginal students in inner city high schools in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is based on a literature review and interviews with Aboriginal high school students, Aboriginal school dropouts, adult members of the Aboriginal community, and teachers. Results indicate that there is a cultural/class/experiential divide between Aboriginal students/families and the school system. The life experiences and cultural values of many Aboriginal families differ significantly from what they experience in schools, which are run largely by non-Aboriginal, middle class people for the purpose of advancing the values of the dominant culture. The educational system marginalizes Aboriginal students and does not adequately reflect their culture and realities. The incidence of overt racism is high. There are few Aboriginal teachers and little Aboriginal curriculum content. Many Aboriginal students resist and reject this form of education. This is viewed by the dominant culture as a problem of Aboriginal students failing in school. The school system then works to raise Aboriginal students to the level of the superior culture. Aboriginal people assert that they want the education needed to participate fully in Canadian society and their own self-governance, but they do not want to abandon their culture to do so. They believe that the educational system needs to better reflect the community's rapidly changing demographics. (Contains 176 references.) (SM)

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an association between HIV sexual risk and substance use behaviors among a sample of inner-city African American youth. As part of a larger study, youth (n=193) competed questionnaires that measured sexual risk as well as substance use. Participants were separated in to high risk and low risk groups. A greater proportion of high risk participants as compared to low risk youth used alcohol and marijuana in the last month. Further, a significant correlation between sexual risk scores and alcohol consumption in the last month was observed, with greater sexual risk being associated with greater alcohol consumption and marijuana use. High risk youth also report lower self-efficacy for refusing drugs or refusing sex after drinking. Results indicate that African American youth who engage in high risk sexual behaviors are more likely to use alcohol and marijuana than those who do not. Prevention programs should be designed to address the interaction of these risk behaviors. (Author)

This study evaluates the first year of a novel HIV and substance use prevention program for inner city youth (Offering New Youth eXperiences--ONYX). Baseline and follow-up measures of knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors were administered seven months apart to 441 youth participating in the ONYX program. Youth (n=71) who provided data at both baseline and follow-up assessments are reported on here. Significant reduction in risk behavior was not observed, however improvement in other outcomes was noted. Youths knowledge about HIV significantly increased from baseline to follow-up. Further, increases in condom use self-efficacy, perceived harm from drug use, and resistance of peer pressure to drink alcohol were observed. Overall, the results of this feasibility phase suggest that the design is possible and the program may be effective in producing some of the desired outcomes. (Author)

Whether using cooperative learning can improve the academic achievement of inner city middle school students was studied in Gary, Indiana at a school with a population of 503 students. Two seventh-grade classes taught by 1 African American male teacher served as 1 treatment group of 20 at-risk students and one nontreatment group of 24 high achievers. Both groups took the same pretest on a unit about India. The treatment group was taught using cooperative learning with a form of Jigsaw IV (Holliday, 2002). Students in the treatment group were given expert sheets that they used to teach their teammates after quiz results ensured that they had learned the material. Other quizzes and a review through a quiz bowl competition measured student learning. The last element was an individual assessment administered to both groups. Achievement results indicated that the cooperative learning strategies worked well with this group of at-risk students. The approach acknowledged the ways these students want to learn. Eighteen attachments contain student learning sheets and assessments. (Contains 3 tables and 19 references.) (SLD)

This monograph presents findings from ethnographic research about parents' work and children's welfare in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Job Initiative. The Initiative was designed to improve the futures of poor, inner city people who were disadvantaged in their previous work efforts because of inadequate education, immigrant/refugee status, incarceration, racism, substance abuse, or inappropriate work experience. The Initiative provided support and assistance to community based organizations and other groups helping low-income workers secure living-wage jobs with benefits and advancement opportunities. Study data came from discussions with and observations of over 400 people associated with 10 Job Initiative families. Chapter 1 presents key lessons about the Initiative. Chapter 2 uses excerpts from Initiative participants to illustrate how work and family intersect for good and ill, elaborating challenges economically disadvantaged families face trying to reach family-supporting incomes, strategies used to keep and advance in jobs, and how these challenges and strategies have an impact on children. Chapters 3 and 4 present conclusions and implications for public policy. Overall, the Initiative resulted in good jobs with higher wages, benefits, and advancement, though reaching that goal was a long process. Four appendices highlight research design, sample description, job initiative site comparison, and job and wage progression charts. (Contains 99 references.) (SM)

The Digital Economic Opportunity Committee (DEOC) was established to examine the information technology (IT) skills gap and make recommendations to eliminate this gap. DEOC believed the appropriate response to this skills gap is two-fold. The first was upgrading existing workers skills through training. The second was expanding the number of skilled workers by improving the education system and by seeking workers from labor pools not traditionally found in the IT workforce (women, minorities, people with disabilities, and seniors) and from underrepresented communities (rural, inner city, and low income). A conference sponsored by DEOC addressed these groups' greater participation through presentations and panel discussions on enlarging the pool of IT workers; barriers that hinder technical training and access to well-paying IT job opportunities; and what could be done to access, train, and retain more members of these populations for the new digital-age economy workforce. The barriers identified were organized and defined as cultural/social, technological, educational, opportunity/choice, and structural. Possible solutions to provide greater participation in the IT workforce for members of underserved communities were improved education, increased public awareness and information, enhanced motivation and support, fostering of leadership and partnerships, encouragement of employer participation, and government involvement. (32 notes) (YLB)

The concept of social exclusion has been widely debated in Europe, though there has been little discussion of its application to children. This paper examines what is meant by exclusion of children, considering the choice of reference group, the geographical dimensions of exclusion, and the issue of who is responsible for any exclusion of children. It looks at social exclusion in the United Kingdom and in the European Union, then it goes on to discuss the use of the concept of exclusion in the United States, where in contrast to Europe, it has achieved little penetration to date. To assess whether there are grounds for discussion of social exclusion as it relates to children in the United States, the paper focuses on various features of U.S. society and institutions, including the measurement of poverty, analysis of children's living standards, state versus federal responsibilities, welfare reform, the emphasis on personal responsibility, and politics and the economy. (Contains 58 references.) (SM)

This paper shows how the Sullivan House Alternative High School, Chicago, Illinois, incorporated the philosophy of John Dewey into the schools curriculum, discipline, and the relationship between teachers, first as a small school with much freedom, and later as a more structured high school. Dewey, in The School and Society, identified four natural instincts of children that schools should see as resources and around which they should develop their programs. Janice Greer, in founding the Sullivan House school, used these instincts and six tenets derived from Dewey's writings to organize the schools as a small learning community. The fist tenet is to help students see themselves as valued members of a community. Next is offering teachers adequate time to feel and show concern for their students. The third and fourth are to engage students in working out real problems that will develop the habits of mind necessary for real learning and constructive work. The fifth is to have an emphasis on creative activity, and the final tenet is to encourage adults and students to interact with much informal conversation and class discussion. These tenets were made integral to the formation of the Sullivan House alternative school. (SLD)

This report examines data from an analysis of the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program in 2001 and previous years that examined grade-by-grade enrollment of participating students by school. It notes that after 5 years, the Program has not made low-income, African American students attending Cleveland's struggling public schools its top priority. The voucher program has always consisted primarily of students attending religious schools, and in 2001, more than 99 percent of participating students were enrolled in religious schools. Only 21 percent of students receiving aid through the voucher program attended Cleveland public schools in the year prior to enrollment in the voucher program. Public schools that are losing high numbers of students to voucher schools are not among the low-performing city schools. Students who transfer out of public schools to enroll in voucher schools are more likely to have come from high-performing schools, magnet schools, or schools with high test scores. Students in the voucher program are less likely to be African American than students in the district at large. Voucher students come from households with similar income levels to those of households of students in the Cleveland public schools. (SM)

Afterschool programs enable inner city public schools to plan, implement, or expand projects that benefit the educational, health, social services, cultural, and recreational needs of the community. This study investigated the impact of afterschool programs on various non-cognitive and cognitive measures (e.g., attendance, suspensions, and grade point average) associated with school performance among poor, inner city students in Louisville, Kentucky. Community learning center programs were established in the intervention schools. They offered enrichment and support activities, community involvement, services to parents and other community members, extended school hours, and core educational services. A group of 636 participating elementary and secondary school students were divided into two groups: 241 regular program attendees and 395 non-regular attendees. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) methodology. Results indicated that there was a positive relationship between the total number of visits and improved school attendance. There was also a positive correlational trend between higher program participation and students' academic performance and number of suspensions. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)

Correctionist models of error, problem, and omission presume that Standard English (SE) is the sole language variety of America. America's classrooms, however, are neither culturally nor linguistically monolithic. Instead, they are diverse, and current teaching metaphors do not reflect the linguistic and cultural realities of the classrooms. This paper offers a path through which the linguistic and cultural diversity of American classrooms may be affirmed, all the while assuring that children learn to command Standard English, a key tool required for full participation in the broader society. The paper tracks the story of Rachel's (the second author) journey as a third grade language arts teacher, showing how she moved from a correctionist to a contrastivist model of the language arts classroom. In doing so, the paper first presents evidence that the achievement gap Rachel witnesses in her own classroom and school is seen not only around her state of Virginia, but throughout the nation, across decades. It states that the field of applied linguistics underlies Rachel's work in the classroom--basic linguistic insight into the nature of language varieties showed her that the language of the home is not lacking in pattern but differently patterned. In the paper, the journey is charted in two voices, that of a university professor of English education (the first author) and that of Rachel, an elementary teacher who implements an inclusive language arts in her linguistically diverse, inner city classroom. The paper suggests that educators must revisit how they respond when students write and speak in spoken language patterns. (Contains 16 references.) (NKA)

This paper describes an effort by Manhattan College, New York, and its consortium of partners (a local school district, the Archdiocese of New York, Apple Computer, and Educational Video Conferencing) to ensure the availability of technology-proficient educators in the area's inner city schools, where the digital divide is most prominent. A TITAN (Transforming Instruction through Technology and Networking) technology grant is facilitating this effort to educate teachers for New York's inner city schools. Goals include curriculum redesign, faculty development, infrastructure development (including human resources), and dissemination. This paper focuses on: (1) curriculum redesign teams, which revised undergraduate and graduate courses to reflect technology infusion as a teaching and learning tool, developed individual technology skills, and modeled technology use in K-12 settings; (2) faculty development, which links with curriculum development; and (3) the technology support team, which is made up of students from the School of Education graduate and undergraduate programs and from the Schools of Science, Engineering, and Business. The appendix presents data on Manhattan College faculty members' technology skills and attitudes about technology, survey instruments, information on TITAN grant workshops, a general preparation performance profile, and available TITAN resources. (SM)

This report examines the effectiveness of Troops to Teachers (TTT), which helped former military personnel become certified and employed teachers in school districts with low income populations experiencing teacher shortages. Information came from the TTT's database and from 1998 study, Profile of TTT, by the National Center for Education Information. Program officials from 10 of the 24 state offices that joined TTT completed interviews. Researchers reviewed reports by research organizations documenting factors that could have affected program participation. Overall, 13,756 former military personnel were accepted into TTT, and 3,821 were hired as teachers from 1994-2000. These results may be low, since data are incomplete. Nearly all of those hired remained in teaching after the first year. Compared to teachers nationwide, more TTT teachers taught math, science, special education, and vocational education and taught in inner city schools and high schools. Factors such as stipends, incentive grants, economic conditions, and state initiatives may have influenced the number of people who applied to TTT and became teachers. Factors that could have decreased the number of applicants and teachers include demand for specialized workers, economic growth, and reduction in supply of applicants. (SM)

Noting that research on long-term effects of attending preschool has found social as well as cognitive effects, this study explored the association between preschool participation and adolescent goals and activities in a sample of 80 urban eighth graders who had attended different types of preschool and kindergarten programs. The sample was 55 percent female; 94 percent of the sample were African American. Most students (76 percent) qualified for subsidized school lunch based on low family income, and 70 percent lived in single-parent families. Students were individually interviewed using a modified version of the Youth Follow-Up Interview. Subjects reported that the hardest adjustment in the transition to junior high school was the new school routine, followed by adjusting to a new physical environment, and making new friends. Findings indicated that these inner city students were highly involved in the typical activities of early adolescence. Their educational and career aspirations were high. More adolescents involved in extracurricular activities hoped to complete college. Few had violated rules of their community, and all had accomplished something that made them proud. Adolescents who had attended preschool were more likely than those who had not to be proud of themselves for achievement-related reasons and, of those, graduates of child-initiated preschools were most likely to report prosocial reasons for feeling proud. Graduates of teacher-directed, academic early childhood programs had somewhat lower postsecondary aspirations, were less likely to participate in sports, and were the only ones to report intentional violation of community rules. (KB)

This study examined three inner-city public elementary school principals whose schools had most significantly improved across a 2-year period as measured by a district-wide index of performance, investigating their perceptions of organizational constraint and their resulting practices. The performance index was obtained using students' SAT-9 standardized test scores, student and teacher attendance, retention rates, and percentage of students who scored below basic on their SAT-9 tests. Interviews were conducted with principals, school teacher leaders, and subdistrict leaders. Results revealed several common themes among the principals, their working partners, and the school district. However, there was distinct variation among principals, lead teachers, and subdistrict leaders in their reports of organizational constraint on principals' autonomy. Recurring themes included the integral importance of the principal to school success; constraints on resources, time, and communication; the relationship between the school and its subdistrict; and the overall emphasis on results as the prime determinant of principal and school success. The most important variable in principal autonomy was the relation between the school and the subdistrict office and, in particular, the relationship between the principal and the subdistrict leader. Appended are principal profiles. (Contains 31 references.) (SM)

This study considered the sociocultural nature of learning for students in a multicultural classroom setting, specifically investigating student-student and student-teacher relationships in a junior high classroom using a "community of practice" perspective. This framework was chosen to determine what contribution a community of practice analysis can make to the study of social interaction in a classroom setting. The study focused on the experiences of students and teacher over one year in a grade 9 language arts classroom at a Canadian inner city elementary-junior high school. The school was ethnically and linguistically diverse and a large number of students spoke English as a second language (ESL), although they were integrated into mainstream classes. Data sources included participant observation, contextual field notes, transcripts from semi-structured interviews, and samples of student writing. Although second language learning was important for "outsiders" becoming "insiders," the linguistic profiles and language learning needs of ESL students are not easily understood in terms of fixed concepts of ethnicity and language. At the research site, issues of ethnicity and gender surfaced as more prominent than those related to second language learning. (Contains 23 references.) (BT)

This paper addresses the issue of how to make school matter to historically disenfranchised, inner city African American youth, as well as youth from other struggling ethnic minority groups. It asserts that one way to do this is to reconceptualize approaches to the acquisition of literacy and literacy skills in teaching, engaging, and motivating African American and other ethnic minority students. The first section of the paper describes specific ways in which researchers and practitioners could re-envision the acquisition of literacy skills in terms of assessment, curriculum, and instruction by celebrating students' language and culture. The second section proposes other potentially innovative approaches to students' acquisition of literacy skills. These approaches include incorporating students' appreciation of prose and poetry by successful artists who express themselves in both the vernacular and the standard with power, effectiveness and grace, as well as celebrating (rather than repudiating) their linguistic and cultural propensities. (Contains 25 references.) (SM)

This research was a pilot study that evaluated the impact of relationship schemas and the quality of children's friendships in children's person perception. This study extends previous work in this area in three ways by: (1) examining how children integrate multiple types of information to form impressions of others; (2) evaluating the impact of relational schemas (internally represented relationship knowledge) in children's person perception; and (3) correlating children's friendship quality to relational schemas. Fifty African-American children (24 males and 26 females from grades 3 and 4) participated in the present research. Children were asked to complete two friendship questionnaires and two impression-rating questionnaires. Overall, higher or more positive ratings were consistently attributed to children presented to best friends than as nonfriends. Several dimensions of friendship quality were associated with behavioral impression ratings, but it did not predict the type of processing (categorical vs. individuating) used by children when presented with information that was either consistent or inconsistent with an initial relational expectancy. (Author/SLD)

This paper describes attempts to implement an emergent literacy intervention in a child-care setting in a high-poverty, Spanish bilingual setting in downtown Los Angeles. Specifically, it discusses the authors' work with a particular preschool teacher, explaining how the research team and the teacher were able to overcome their original biases and collaboratively develop an intervention that was truly responsive to the needs of the children and the community. Contains 25 references and 2 figures. (Author/RS)

This paper considers the concept of the "one-stop shop" in relation to the provision of family services, whereby the family can access a range of support services made available in one location. The paper examines how the concept fits within the context of mainstream service provision in Great Britain today, specifically how the Coram Community Campus, as an example of a "one-stop shop" in London, attempts to meet diverse family needs in an inner city setting. Findings of the Campus model of multi-agency practice are presented to illustrate the impact of this approach on families and the quality of support provided. The paper describes the move in England away from crisis intervention toward more preventive work with vulnerable families, involving program coordination and partnerships. The Coram Community Campus model is described as an organization arrangement working to provide families and their young children in one of the most deprived areas in London with care, education, health, and social support. Distinguishing features of the Campus model are listed, and the services provided are summarized. The paper presents both qualitative and quantitative findings from the user survey and user interviews to examine how services were being used, to identify perspectives of the practitioners, and to provide concrete examples of "one-stop shopping." The paper concludes by asserting that the "one-stop shop" approach clearly responds to the complexity and diversity of family life in the inner city as it evolves to better meet multiple and diverse needs. Contains 21 references. (KB)

This report is the first in a series on Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) in the Newark, New Jersey Public Schools. Project GRAD is an education initiative that combines several proven or promising reforms with the goals of increasing reading and math achievement test scores, improving classroom behavior, reducing dropout rates, and increasing rates of college enrollment and graduation. It is designed to be implemented across a feeder pattern of schools and targets inner city schools with a history of low achievement and low graduation and college enrollment rates. This report presents evaluation data from the project's implementation period (1998-99). Data from field research, teacher surveys and focus groups, and analysis of student data indicates that the partnership between Project GRAD and the Newark Public Schools made significant strides toward implementation in Newark in a short time period. Its college scholarship guarantee stimulated interest in and support for the initiative among school staff, students, parents, and community institutions. Implementation of Project GRAD met and exceeded planned expectations. Although neither the reading nor math components had yet been implemented, the program's other components were having a positive effect on some students' achievement. (Contains 31 references.) (SM)

The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP) is a state-funded prekindergarten program in Saginaw for 4-year-olds from the inner city with the goal of providing an environment that develops school readiness skills. The seven program components are: cognitive, psychomotor, affective, parent participation/education, curriculum, staff development, and community collaboration/participation. An annual evaluation was conducted for the 1999-2000 school year. A total of 306 students attended the program at 1 of 10 sites. The Prekindergarten Saginaw Objective Reference Test was used to assess student achievement on a posttest-only basis. The Affective Rating Scale assessed affective objectives on a pre-post basis. Findings indicate that MSRP students attained all the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective objectives. All objectives related to parent participation through classroom participation, parent meetings, and completion of home activities with the children were met successfully. The Early Childhood Education Curriculum Committee met four times and discussed full-day kindergarten, kindergarten reading and mathematics materials, literacy and language development frameworks, and issues in implementing new reading and math series. The program supervisor participated on county level committees. All staff attended at least 75 percent of the inservice training offered. It was concluded that the MSRP program in its eleventh year of operation was very successful, having achieved all 26 objectives. It was recommended that the teachers and program supervisor jointly explore alternative ways to involve employed parents in their children's education and that building differences in program effectiveness be examined. (Eight appendices include a description of the program, data collection instruments, and data by school building.) (KB)

Asian Neighborhood Design (AND) was established by a group of student architects in 1973 to rehabilitate houses and revitalize community spaces in the crowded neighborhoods of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite its growth and development in response to changes in economic conditions, the policy environment, and its own clientele, AND has retained its initial approach, which is based on a comprehensive, needs-centered model of poverty alleviation. As a community development corporation with specialized expertise in architectural design and construction, AND works to help neighborhood residents achieve self-sufficiency by creating access to existing jobs in the construction industry and creating inner-city jobs in case-goods manufacturing. AND is committed to assisting low-income Bay area residents, including hard-to-place welfare recipients and ex-felons. Areas in which AND is active include the following: job training; wood products manufacturing; construction management; and architectural services. AND also offers posttraining counseling in critical life areas and management services. Of the 102 trainees participating in AND training programs in fiscal 1998, 75 (74%) graduated and 68 (91%) were placed in jobs at an average starting hourly wage of $9.18. In fiscal 1998, AND incurred total operating costs of $658,942 ($9,690 per job placement or $11,981 per retained job). (Contains 14 tables/figures.) (MN)

This study examined the relationship of home and family, school behavior, peer relations, and self-concept with reading achievement among Head Start graduates. Participating in the study were 43 girls and 37 boys ranging in age from 8 to 17 at the time of the study. Two groups were selected. The first group, identified as resilient, had average reading achievement scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) above the 75th percentile throughout their schooling. The second group had average ITBS reading achievement scores between the 25th and 50th percentiles. The ethnic breakdown of the participants was as follows: 40 Latinos, 10 European Americans, 26 African Americans, and 4 Native Americans. Data on home and family, school behavior, peer relationships, and self-concept were collected from interviews with the student and his or her caretaker and ratings completed by participant-nominated teachers. Findings indicated that reading proficiency was positively and significantly correlated with the following: generous psychological autonomy granting by parents as judged by parents and children; behaviors demonstrating harmonious relationships with peers and teachers, scholastic motivation, and emotional stability (as rated by teachers); and behavioral, global, and scholastic self-concept. Reading proficiency was negatively and significantly correlated with peers' classroom activities, homework engagement, and cooperation with classroom rules. There were no significant relations between reading achievement and classroom activities, homework engagement, cooperation, or antisocial behavior as rated by the target child and teachers combined. Both mother's and child's verbal ability were positively correlated with reading proficiency and grade point average. (Contains 12 references.) (KB)

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the role of dialogue in children's learning and conception of self. Most research to date has focused on the elements and functions of classroom discourse and on adult-child or teacher-pupil conversations in educational settings. Little is known, however, about children's informal talk in which children themselves take on a leading conversational role. This paper examines a youth initiated conversation about sexual orientation, which emerged in an inner-city youth gardening program as a group of participants were busy harvesting crops. The macro-level analysis points to the kinds of positions voiced by the speakers, while the micro-level analysis examines the characteristics of the argumentation structure that emerged and its function in the dialogue. The case is made that discourse is an important tool for the construction and deconstruction of meaning and self for inner city youth, and that youth need to be provided with more opportunities to contest issues of relevance to them such as sexual orientation. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/SM)

One of the keys to enabling children from disadvantaged backgrounds to be successful in school and later in life might be to provide them, through mentors, with exposure to literacy and numeracy, and to introduce problem-solving techniques to them early in their school careers. This study was concerned specifically with the mentorship experiences of: low socioeconomic or educationally disadvantaged elementary students who might not achieve their maximum potential in school or later in life; mentors who made commitments to work "one-on-one" with mentees on a regular basis for one school year; and the school mentorship coordinator as she worked to bring mentors and mentees together. These issues were examined at Norwood School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where a mentorship program was implemented during the 1997-98 school year and continued in 1998-99. The program was designed to increase student literacy in this inner-city elementary school. Administrators and a teacher were interviewed, and questionnaires were distributed to 136 mentors (45 surveys returned), 136 mentees (83 returned), and 10 teachers (7 returned). Test scores were also examined. Compared with the literature, the findings are that: overwhelmingly students enjoyed spending time with their mentors; the majority of the mentors also enjoyed their interactions with their mentees; having an adult work with students gives students the feeling they are "worthwhile"; mentorship programs are most successful when designed to help develop the "whole child" socially and academically; and besides understanding how literacy develops in children, the program coordinator needs to have exceptional interpersonal communication skills. Test results showed conclusively that more students achieved and exceeded grade level expectations during the 1998-99 school year than the previous year. (Contains 11 references.) (NKA)

Project Choice began with a simple goal: to increase the number of inner-city students who graduate from high school on time and become productive members of society. To that end, Ewing M. Kauffman, his Foundation, and associates designed and implemented a program that promised postsecondary education or training to some students in the Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri area as an incentive to stay in school. This report details the evolution of Project Choice from its planning in 1987 through 1996, when members of the first class began graduating from 4-year institutions. The report provides a candid account of the successes and failures of Project Choice, and shows how the Project Choice experience led the Kauffman Foundation to change the way it contributes to programs for children and youth. Ten lessons from Project Choice are outlined: (1) inner city youth can succeed; (2) support services are crucial; (3) flexibility is key; (4) the attention of caring adults is more powerful than the incentive of postsecondary education; (5) kids need ongoing rewards and recognition; (6) parents count; (7) high school graduation is not an end; (8) incentive is expensive; (9) schools opt out of the game when they are not full members from the outset; and (10) permanence requires community partnership. The long-term self-sufficiency of Project Choice students is still untested, and their lives as productive workers are just beginning, but the program did meet its goal of increasing the number of students who stayed in school. Of the 1,394 students who signed Project Choice agreements, 628 went to college and 87 went to vocational, technical, or business schools. Information is also provided about program costs. (SLD)

This brief presents an overview of a comprehensive school safety plan that combines calm and sound attention to the violence that currently pervades children's lives. With regard to the absolute probability of encountering violence or being victimized by crime, schools are the social setting in which students are most protected and least likely to be harmed. However, the surety of school safety varies by community, and if the definition of school safety is expanded to include traveling to and from school and time spent with acquaintances after school, the insulation from harm is lessened considerably. Identifying youth who are likely to be violent is best undertaken early in the elementary grades. In most cases, the school can play a key role in developing within-school behavior management strategies and connecting these strategies with those that can be used at home. Special strategies for inner-city schools may be needed to counter the belief that aggression is a necessary response to frustration. A three-pronged approach to school safety is suggested that includes: (1) implementation of a behavior-based identification of high risk youth and organization of youth services; (2) creation and maintenance of an organizational atmosphere that undermines acceptance of violence in the schools; and (3) implementation of strategies to prevent violence among the portion of the school population that is not at high risk. (Contains 25 references.) (SLD)