Latest Coverage

"[T]he bonds are rapidly capturing the imagination of some public officials in the United States: on Wednesday, Massachusetts announced that it was completing negotiations with two nonprofit groups to finance juvenile justice and homelessness programs, with the promise of repayment only if the programs work."

"Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' graduation rate rose to 75 percent in 2012, while the state's rate hit 80 percent for the first time ever, according to a state report released Thursday morning. The CMS increase, from 73.5 percent in 2011, means 319 more students earned on-time diplomas this year, with the biggest gains among the African American, Hispanic and low-income students who have traditionally been less likely to graduate."

"Americans recognize that nearly one-in-four children lives in poverty, the same fraction are hungry or at risk of hunger, over one million of our nation's students are homeless, and 1.3 million students drop out of school annually. And while American voters recognize the need to make budget cuts to reduce the federal deficit, they want policymakers to make real choices that reflect their values."

"All the digital materials found on PowerMyLearning have been carefully selected by CFY, a national nonprofit that works with more than 100 high-poverty schools to provide free computers to the homes of all of the sixth-graders in those schools. CFY has great expertise in selecting quality educational resources because of its partnerships with schools and media developers."

"In addition to its TechMobile, Community Connection has established 30 public computing centers where low-income individuals and families can have access to the Internet,' Krebs said. The centers offer classes to all ages in basic computer and Internet skills, word processing, photo editing and more. The classes are offered in English, Spanish and some indigenous Oaxacan languages."

"Under No Child Left Behind, 85 percent of students needed to meet standards in 2011 while 92.5 percent were required in 2012. At Mill, low-income students missed the mark in reading both years. Naperville Unit District 203 has chosen Meadow Glens and River Woods as alternate schools for Mill students because they are high-achieving and have the capacity to accommodate them, according to Kitty Ryan, assistant superintendent for elementary education. Parents have until Aug. 8 to request a transfer. By law, priority will be given to low-income, low-achieving students."

"In 2009, Norfolk Public Schools partnered with Old Dominion University and three area nonprofits to improve the early reading ability of preschool children and the literacy-instruction skills of their teachers. The project received a three-year, $4.5 million federal grant targeted to children from low-income, homeless or high-mobility military families. The grant was meant to be collaborative, with the division providing project management."

"Part of the debate over school reform is about poverty itself, with the reformers taking the view that a great teacher can overcome the barriers poverty poses, while the other side says that the problems of public schools can't be solved until poverty itself is alleviated. Cantor is suggesting an alternative way of thinking -- that students in public schools can do well if the issues they face are dealt with head-on, instead of sidestepped."

"Shatzkin noted a 2007 Johns Hopkins study that found a three-year gap in reading skills among middle-income and low-income students by ninth grade. Two-thirds of the gap was attributed to summer learning loss, she said. Catherine Augustine, a senior policy researcher with the RAND Corp., said the gap could be because low-income children are reading less during the summer or not being read to as often as their middle-class counterparts. We know from other research that low-income children are more likely to be watching TV and playing video games, and are less likely to be having conversations with adults.'"

"Did you know that nearly 3,500 kids in Monterey County school districts are homeless? That includes all school districts - the Peninsula, Salinas, north and south county alike. So, United Way is partnering with local businesses and the Monterey County Office of Education to spearhead Stuff the Bus, a school supply drive."

"Tens of thousands of young children from low-income families could be dropped from Head Start programs if Congress cannot find a way to prevent automatic cuts to the federal budget in 2013."

"City Council members recently approved zoning changes that will allow a developer to turn St. Mary's Carmelite Church into low-income housing for senior citizens. Work on the $10.5 million project is expected to start sometime next year."