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"Under a new assessment system, the state Education Department last week identified 16 Queens schools that were failing to help disadvantaged students make progress on state exams. The schools were among 221 singled out across the state where low-income students, English language learners, students with disabilities and those of certain ethnic and racial groups scored in the bottom 5 percent on math and English tests or with graduation rates below 60 percent for the past few years."

"The No Kid Hungry campaign will work with schools and communities to increase participation in school breakfast programs. Some parents are unaware of the programs, and some students are embarrassed to sign up for them. One way around that is Philadelphia's universal feeding program, which makes free meals available to all students, thus reducing paperwork and eliminating the stigma associated with poverty."

"Enter Philadelphia Futures, the nonprofit that helps promising low-income city students get into college and then succeed there. Traditionally, it has handpicked a select group of teens - currently, 176 high school students citywide - for intensive, long-term mentoring, academic enrichment, guidance, and funds for college-related expenses. But Futures wants to do more. This year, it's launched a one-year pilot program for 31 Northeast seniors."

"At least half of the preschool's children were low-income, and their families relied on state assistance to cover tuition. Preschool Director Helen Freeman said a state-imposed change has made it impossible for the center to continue operating, but state officials disagreed. The state made a change in April 2011 to its ABC Child Care Program, which pays for low-income children to attend child-care centers so their parents can work or further their education."

"Goodwill of San Antonio has received a $100,000 federal grant to boost its program that encourages low-income people to save for their education. The American Dream Individual Development Account program provides a $4 match for every $1 that a program participant saves for their education up to $4,000."

"The segregation of these schools is hurting all downtown students - both those who attend them and those who do not. All children can succeed. But students in high poverty schools encounter more obstacles than those with more diverse populations. Only half graduate on time. Many suffer the fates of dropouts - including time in prison. The costs of failing to educate low-income children are so high that it seems logical to focus on those students. But costs are incurred by others, too - including families that relocate or pursue other options because these schools are not educating students well."

"The three-credit class, taught by Salem State adjunct professor Julie Batten, began with eight Lifebridge residents, of whom four including Robinson completed the course. The four were awarded their credits in a ceremony in August. Salem State funded the estimated $20,000 cost of the program, which university officials believe may be the first credit program in the nation to be targeted specifically for homeless people. The university plans to explore with Lifebridge the possibility of offering more courses."

"Located on northern California's spectacular coast between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, this free camp for children from low-income families has served more than 7,000 kids from the inner cities of Oakland, East Palo Alto, San Francisco, and San Jose."

"According to the latest data provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count program, the percent of young people in Des Moines under age 18 who are living in poverty has reached 27 percent. The percent statewide has also grown over the past five years. This means that at least one out of every three students we serve in Des Moines schools is living in poverty. As the adults who spend a majority of our time with these children, it is incumbent upon us to take a stand for these young people."

"First pitfall: impact of poverty. The successful schools Carroll highlights do serve minority and low-income students, but not at a comparable rate to MSLA. Our student population is almost entirely Hispanic, and a super-majority are second language learners. Nearly all of our students are on free or reduced lunch."

"All told, 213 schools are now labeled underperforming in some way, compared to more than 1,000 under No Child Left Behind. All are schools that receive federal Title I money to address higher levels of poverty. Those schools have to submit turnaround plans to the state, but unlike previous years, they no longer have to provide tutoring or transfers or face stricter penalties."

"Though most of its students are poor and many speak English as their second language, Alice Ott Middle School will open Tuesday as one of the most successful schools in Oregon. In four years, the school in east county's David Douglas School District has increased the share of its students meeting or exceeding state standards from half to 80 percent. Its improvement has been so dramatic that the state last month designated it the sole high-poverty middle school in the state worthy of being called a model school.'"