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"Michigan's 25-year investment in early childhood education translates to about $1.15 billion in savings annually because students in preschool require less academic and social help as they get older, according to a study unveiled Monday."

"Gov. Haley Barbour has cut the state's higher education budget 8.2 percent for the current fiscal year because of declining state revenues."

"The White House on Monday previewed several middle-class tax cuts and spending programs that President will propose in Wednesday's State of the Union address.

"Employment statistics are particularly abysmal among low-income youths and young African-American males in the city. In Chicago, only 15 percent of black teens held any type of job in 2008 versus 30 percent of Latinos and nearly 33 percent of whites."

"Stated in less inflammatory terms, his thesis seems to be that aid to the poor actually causes poverty by rewarding bad behavior and making poverty too attractive."

"Others said the reversal could be due to a variety of factors, including an increase in poverty, an influx of Hispanics and complacency about AIDS, prompting lax use of birth control such as condoms."

"Colleges have boosted their marketing. Northwestern last year created a position in the admissions office to 'spearhead our many efforts to attract low-income and minority applicants,' Mills said."

"Students are divided into subgroups. That way progress can be measured among different groups, such as students from low-income families or students with learning disabilities."

"The principals... uniformly agreed that the recession has hurt, with 3 out of 4 saying that they have had to increase class sizes in the elementary grades...in the past year. Principals serving predominantly low-income students were more likely to report such cuts."

"When gauging diversity, parents wanted to know the minority percentages as well as reduced-lunch percentages. The latter determine which schools are Title 1 schools. Title 1 schools receive additional federal funding based on concentrations of low-income students."

"Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a Florida-based nonprofit organization that provides an opportunity for low-income and at-risk students - many from minority families - to escape the cycle of poverty through education."

"Create a system of education, training and support services for low-income, low-skilled workers to gain 'green' industry employment"