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"District figures show that, as of January, 49.4 percent of students enrolled in the Fayette County Public Schools were receiving free or reduced-cost school meals, based on their families' low incomes."

"Since the economy collapsed in 2008, Florida's student population has become poorer each year with almost all school districts in the state experiencing spikes in the number of kids who qualify for subsidized meals. Children have become homeless at alarming numbers as well."

"But Mr. Gulbranson and many other residents who describe themselves as self-sufficient members of the American middle class and as opponents of government largess are drawing more deeply on that government with each passing year. "

"Many of Broward County's high-poverty public schools are getting shortchanged, with less local and state money spent on teachers and staff than in their wealthier counterparts, according to federal data."

While many educators and many governors celebrated, congressional Republicans accused Obama of executive overreach, and education and civil-rights groups questioned if schools would be getting a pass on aggressively helping poor and minority children -- the kids the 2002 law was primarily designed to help."

"In return for granting the waiver, the U.S. Department of Education will require Tennessee to increase its percentage of students considered proficient or advanced on state exams by at least 3 percent each year. That number is 6 percent for low-income and minority students."

"Professor Reardon is the author of a study that found that the gap in standardized test scores between affluent and low-income students had grown by about 40 percent since the 1960s, and is now double the testing gap between blacks and whites."

"ۢ Significant attention to building students' background knowledge through wide reading, particularly of nonfiction, and direct vocabulary instruction particularly important in districts with large numbers of low-income students."

"One in five children in Illinois live in poverty, according to Illinois Kids Count 2012 data released Thursday by the organization Voices for Illinois Children. The organization released its 2012 data Thursday morning at various locations throughout the state, including East St. Louis, and the report shows an economy that is still struggling with poverty and a high joblessness rate."

"Stone said he started looking for 100 students and had established the whereabouts of 70. From there, the volunteers were able to account for 25 students and two weeks later bumped that figure up to 35 who returned to class."

"Under the current law, kindergarten is not mandatory, and children can stay home until they turn 6. As a result, an estimated 3,000 city children are not enrolled. Education advocates say that hurts many of the neediest kids, including those with special needs and those in foster care."

"The center, at 600 New York Ave., sits among the Arlington schools with the largest numbers of students living below the poverty line. At least 90 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, more than enough to qualify for additional Title I federal funding, said Carole Hagler, the district's director of state and federal programs."