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"Here in Philadelphia, Ernst & Young LLP and the nonprofit College For Every Student (CFES) have collaborated with Frankford High School to help young people from low-income communities become college-ready. We call this collaboration College MAP (Mentoring for Access and Persistence), and it is part of a national program in 13 US cities that brings teams of Ernst & Young mentors to high schools in underserved communities to mentor and guide students on their journey to college."

"The Pinellas County school district has repeatedly rejected calls from a faith-based alliance to change the way reading instruction is delivered in high-poverty elementary schools."

"A condemned, fire-ravaged eyesore transformed into rentals for 43 very low-income seniors has been named Senior Housing Project of the Year by Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing and the city's first LEED Platinum multifamily building."

"SAT scores track affluence and poverty so closely that the Broad Foundation has a formula that predicts outcomes on the test based on the percentage of students who receive free and reduced-price lunches. For every 1 percent increase in the number of students in the federal lunch program, SAT scores decline by five points, Broad analyst Nancy Que said, although she added that other factors are in play, such as parental involvement."

"Nearly all of its North Charleston students are considered low-income, and third-grade teacher Jennifer Nimphie said they need as much intervention and help possible for positive effects in their lives. In a school like ours, a teacher is vital to making that difference,' she said. A $23.7 million federal grant announced this week will help Charleston County school leaders recruit and retain high-quality teachers to schools such as Dunston, and reward educators who see the best results in students' achievement."

"Davenport schools Superintendent Art Tate said the federal labels don't help the district because the performance goals are not realistic. The district has instead focused on closing the achievement gap among minority students. Last year produced mixed results: Latinos fell behind in reading and math, while black students showed improvement. Iowa schools, particularly those in urban districts, all are working against the grinding force of poverty, he said."

"A teacher leader would have a longer contract year than a traditional teacher and work as a coach to other teachers who are not ranked highly effective.' The teacher leader would receive $10,000 in addition to his or her salary. Highly effective teachers who enter struggling and high poverty schools to teach high-demand subjects such as math, science or special education could receive a $3,000 bonus."

"A Nashville educator is touting citywide teamwork as a pivotal aspect of tripling the number of low-income, college-ready graduates by 2020. Jeremy Kane, founder and CEO of LEAD Public Schools, a Nashville charter school system, announced the formation of Nashville Commits on Wednesday after returning from the Clinton Global Initiative, a three-day conference that ended Tuesday in New York City."

"States receive federal money to feed senior citizens lunch. These programs require no proof of income, meaning an older person can pull up to a senior center in a Cadillac and eat a hot, nutritious meal for free. No questions asked. Yet feeding school children means embarrassing low-income families and forcing schools to try to collect on debts."

"For example, the perception that American student performance is mediocre ignores the effect of poverty, Homan said. At 21.7 percent, the United States had the highest percentage of students in poverty among the PISA countries that reported their rates. When the PISA scores of students from low-poverty U.S. schools were compared to the rest of the world, the United States ranked first, Homan said."

"Instead, Conway has concluded that he can do the most good, over the long haul, by helping low-income people get the education and training they need to land jobs that are already available. The impact could be significant in a region where tens of thousands of jobs go begging because local residents are unprepared for them. Conway disclosed Tuesday that he's making a down payment on his $1 billion promise with an initial round of grants totaling $55 million."

"Michigan parents could lose welfare benefits if they aren't sending their children to school regularly, a move educators said could be an effective "tool" against truancy. But some advocates for families in poverty say they worried struggling parents are being singled out without looking at the reasons why the children are not in school."