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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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Chattanooga Times Free Press, April 03, 2013: Bill linking welfare to school progress advances
"The measure would cut monthly benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program if a child fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress.' Supporters noted that those cuts could be avoided if parents attend conferences with teachers, take parenting classes or enroll their children in tutoring programs or summer school."
The Indianapolis Star, April 02, 2013: (Editorial) For kids' sake, no time to go slow on preschool
"Last week's vote by the Senate Education and Career Development Committee to approve an early childhood education pilot program - but without the funding included when the House passed the bill 93-6 - could mean that an estimated 1,000 low-income Hoosier children will miss out on a vital start to their schooling."
The Boston Globe, April 02, 2013: (Editorial) Longer school days pay off for kids in struggling cities
"Sandwiched between Governor Patrick's call for major increases in spending for early childhood education and public higher education is a modest bump of $5 million to extend the school day in fiscal year 2014. The money is focused precisely where it belongs middle school students in high-poverty districts."
Tulsa World, March 31, 2013: Study: Read-or-fail law would flunk high percent of Oklahoma 3rd-graders
"The risks of a high rate of failure among Mark Twain's third-graders next year point to what some educators say is a worrisome part of the state's reading act: A disproportionate share of those who fail will likely be poor children. Most could be boys. An Oklahoma Watch analysis of state test data from 2012 found that elementary schools with higher rates of low-income students had greater shares of third-graders who scored poorly on reading."
The Washington Post, March 31, 2013: (Blog) While fixing Prince George's schools, don't mess with successes
"Those debating the Baker plan don't seem to realize that administrators and teachers have increased significantly the number of Prince George's students taking college-level courses like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate. More students than ever before are passing those exams, written and graded by outside experts."
The Star Tribune, March 31, 2013: (Op-Ed) What Minnesota college students need from lawmakers
"The Legislature has another important task this session: making a much-needed adjustment to the State Grant Program. This program provides funds directly to low-income students to help them pay for their education unmet financial need is one of the main reasons students are unable to attend or complete college."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 30, 2013: (Op-Ed) Texas poised to go backward on education standards
"Low-income and minority students are thriving in the current system, making bigger gains than any other groups in graduating career- and college-ready. Can we do better? Yes, but we should not replace a system that is moving us in the direction we want to go with a system that will throw us in the wrong direction."
The Oklahoman, March 30, 2013: Low-income students likely to be retained at highest rate
"Among thousands of Oklahoma students who could be held back in third grade for failing a state reading test next year, a disproportionate share likely will be low-income children, an Oklahoma Watch analysis of state data found."
Milwaukee Courier, March 30, 2013: Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) at UW-Madison
"PEOPLE is a pre-college pipeline for students of color and low- income students, most of whom are the first in their families to potentially attend college. Their journey prepares them to apply, be successfully admitted and enroll at the University of Wisconsin- Madison."
The New York Times, March 29, 2013: (Op-Ed) A Simple Way to Send Poor Kids to Top Colleges
"The results are now in, and they suggest that basic information can substantially increase the number of low-income students who apply to, attend and graduate from top colleges. Among a control group of low-income students with SAT scores good enough to attend top colleges but who did not receive the information packets only 30 percent gained admission to a college matching their academic qualifications. Among a similar group of students who did receive a packet, 54 percent gained admission, according to the researchers."
Guadalupe Street Coffee accepts $50,000 from Rapier Foundation
"The Rapier Family Foundation donated $50,000 toward BCFS Health and Human Services' West San Antonio community development project, Guadalupe Street Coffee. The coffee shop is located in the heart of the West Side, where only 56 percent of local residents over the age of 25 graduated from high school or achieved any degree of higher education. More than 52 percent of residents live below the poverty level. Guadalupe Street Coffee provide job training to teenagers and educational opportunities for high school students. Young people are encouraged to stop by for poetry nights, movies and dance shows. Teens can also get help with homework and filling out financial aid forms. They also learn about healthy eating and proper nutrition."
$2 million donation to help undocumented DPS students pay for college
"An anonymous $2 million gift to the Denver Scholarship Foundation will provide aid to a group of students who are ineligible for federal assistance for college. The gift will aid Denver Public Schools students who are undocumented immigrants but have received federal deferred-action status. [] Now, DPS students who receive deferred-action status under a program to grant temporary work permits to immigrants who were brought here as children will be able to skip the FAFSA requirement and prove, instead, that they qualify for free or reduced lunch, which is the district's measure of poverty."
