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Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.
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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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State
Issue
The New York Times, October 12, 2011: Alumni Tutoring Effort Strives to Raise Diversity At Elite Public Schools
"In Washington Heights, graduates of Stuyvesant High School and the Bronx High School of Science run the Science Schools Initiative, a yearlong free tutoring program held for three hours every Saturday morning. To qualify, students must show promise on a diagnostic exam and meet the city's benchmark for poverty."
The Associated Press, October 11, 2011: W.Va. exceeds national student loan default rate
"Angela Bell with the Higher Education Policy Commission says the state has a large number of low-income and first-generation students. She tells the Charleston Gazette ( http://bit.ly/rj1TpT) that many of these students are less likely to complete their degrees and then pay off their loans."
The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 2011: Erie college poll shows impact of hard times on Pa. residents
"'The poverty question was startling,' said Joseph Morris, a professor and director of the college's Center for Applied Politics, which conducted the poll, 'as was the fact that a strong majority of Pennsylvanians have had to make lifestyle changes because of the economy.'"
Detroit Free Press, October 11, 2011: Great divide over adding charters
"But Quisenberry said most of those poor-performing schools are in high-poverty areas, which tend to have lower-performing students, research shows. What's important, he said, is that research has shown that the longer students are in a charter school, 'the more successful they are.'"
The Washington Post, October 10, 2011: Early childhood education again in spotlight
"It is not news that quality early childhood education is vital to the academic success of most children - especially those who live in poverty - but the issue is getting new attention from policymakers, corporate funders and others who recognize it as fundamental to real reform."
Springfield News-Leader, October 10, 2011: Group helps children focus on school
"'Our children in poverty continue to escalate ... in our area and in the nation,' she said. 'We have more children that are homeless than ever before.'"
Mobile Register, October 9, 2011: State eyes $50M for preschools
"'The grant could make a big difference in Mississippi, where about 33 percent of children live in poverty, Grace said. That's a higher percentage than any other state. 'This is about children, and that's very clear in this proposal,' said Grace, director of early childhood development for Children's Defense Fund."
Portland Press Herald, October 7, 2011: Panel weighs cuts in funds for at-risk kids
"One example is Head Start. Maine is one of only 11 states that contribute to the federal program for low-income preschool children. ''It is from that perspective that we propose the elimination of all state general fund support,'' she said."
Sacramento Business Journal, October 7, 2011: UC Davis gets $4M grant for poverty research center
"The University of California Davis will create a Center for Poverty Research, one of three in the country that will study the causes and effects of policies that deal with poverty."
Daily World, October 7, 2011: St. Landry Parish schools rank last
"'When we look at our growth, we really look at growth within ourselves. We don't do apples and oranges comparisons, because our district is so unique. We have rural schools and we have high poverty schools,' she said, adding that the school system is still reeling from changes because of its desegregation lawsuit."
Chicago Tribune, October 6, 2011: Economic inequality: The real cause of the urban school problem
"Policies that address the consequences of these changes, which recent poverty figures show have worsened, are more likely to improve the life chances of the children from low-income families."
The Washington Post, October 6, 2011: Fairfax charter school an impossible dream?
"Welcome to Fantasyland. Eric Welch just sent me a detailed plan for a public charter school in Fairfax County. He and several other people on the board of what they call the Fairfax Leadership Academy say they want to help low-income families with a school unlike any that local students have had before."
