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Descriptors:
Intelligence; Behavior Problems; Genetics; Etiology; Environmental Influences; Preschool Children; Longitudinal Studies; Twins; Attendance; Cognitive Ability; Socioeconomic Status; Minority Groups; Enrollment; Child Care Centers; Economically Disadvantaged; Preschool Education

Abstract:
Background: Preschool involves an array of new social experiences that may impact the development of early externalizing behavior problems over the transition to grade school. Methods: Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of over 600 pairs of US twins, we tested whether the genetic and environmental influences on externalizing problems differed between children who did versus did not attend preschool. Results: At age 4, the genetic and environmental etiology of externalizing did not differ by preschool attendance. In contrast, by age 5 years (kindergarten age), the genetic and environmental etiology of externalizing significantly differed by preschool attendance. Among children who did not attend preschool, externalizing at age 5 was predominantly due to environmental influences (52% shared environment, 34% non-shared environment) rather than genetic differences (13%), whereas among children who had attended preschool, externalizing at age 5 was primarily due to genes (67%), and shared environmental influences were negligible (0%). These interactions represented the differential longitudinal persistence of genes and environments that contributed to externalizing at age 4. Sensitivity analyses ruled out confounding due to early mental ability, socioeconomic status, minority status, child age, and prior history of childcare. Conclusions: These results indicate that preschool enrollment is associated with increased genetic and decreased shared environmental influences on the development of early externalizing behavior problems. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures, and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Stakeholders; Elementary Education; Foreign Countries; Principals; Case Studies; Early Childhood Education; Young Children; Economically Disadvantaged; Grade 1; Educational Policy; Interviews; Teacher Attitudes; Administrator Attitudes; Parent Attitudes; School Readiness; Educational Quality; Access to Education; Equal Education; Family Environment

Abstract:
In South Africa, the development of the 2001 White Paper No. 5 on Early Childhood Development (ECD) has been an instrumental policy in the development of changes to assist in preparing children for formal schooling, along with a strong focus on early childhood education. However the extent to which these are being enacted is relatively unknown. This study investigated understandings and practices of stakeholders involved in the transition of children moving from preschool or home into primary school in South Africa. A case study approach was adopted focusing on two schools situated in economically disadvantaged provinces of South Africa. School principals and teachers were interviewed to determine their knowledge of, and relationships with preschools, and practices around school transition. Grade 1 teachers were also asked about the factors influencing children's transition to school. Parents were asked about their views of transition and how their children were supported as they started school. Taking note of the children's own voices was imperative in determining how they experienced transition to school. While case study findings cannot be generalised, the results suggest that much needs to be done to increase awareness of early childhood education and for the government to move beyond universal accessibility to ensuring the quality of provision at the local level. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Parent Child Relationship; Foreign Countries; Educational Needs; Facilitators (Individuals); Context Effect; Preschool Teachers; Preschool Children; Parents; Semi Structured Interviews; Focus Groups; Economically Disadvantaged; Social Support Groups; Early Childhood Education; Program Effectiveness

Abstract:
Supported playgroups are a service model used widely in Australia with the dual focus of providing stimulating early childhood environments for children and supportive environments for parents. This article describes research findings from a recent doctoral study that explored three supported playgroups in western Sydney. In particular it focuses on the multi-dimensional and complex facilitation role in these groups. It shows how the creation of inclusive and engaging playgroup environments was inextricably tied to eight categories of support that a diverse range of parents experienced. The research findings demonstrate how effective facilitation in these groups led to parents experiencing increased emotional support, decreased feelings of isolation and inequality and increased confidence in parenting. It also draws attention to the training needs of early childhood professionals who undertake the complex role of facilitation in groups that work with parents and children together. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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School Desegregation; Socioeconomic Status; Social Integration; Achievement Gap; Public Schools; Middle Class; Economically Disadvantaged; Students; Educational Change; Resistance to Change; School Choice; Politics of Education; Evidence; Educational Research; Cost Effectiveness; Barriers; Track System (Education); Magnet Schools; School Turnaround; Charter Schools

Abstract:
Integrating our schools is a goal that many of us share. But some seem to have given up on the idea, as plans to boost racial diversity have come under attack, and as the fixation on test scores has narrowed some people's concept of a good education. There is, however, new hope: integration by socioeconomic status. It's a cost-effective, legally sound strategy that can promote racial diversity while narrowing the achievement gap. (Contains 48 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Evidence; Innovation; Agricultural Occupations; Agriculture; Rural Education; Foreign Countries; Community Development; Economically Disadvantaged; Sustainability; Food; Security (Psychology); Rural Extension; Poverty; Community Support

Abstract:
Purpose: Farmer-to-farmer extension offers a potentially low-cost and wide-reach alternative in supporting agricultural innovation. Various approaches are being promoted but information on their impact and sustainability is sparse. This study examines experiences of Self Help Africa and partners in Ghana, Uganda and Malawi. It asks: What is good practice in community extension for agriculture? What has been the impact of community extension on food security for smallholder farmers? What is the potential for scale-up and policy influence? Design/methodology/approach: Findings are based on a three-country mixed methods study of 240 households, farmer groups and community, government and NGO extensionists. Findings: Models of good practice include: community selection of extensionists, a twin technical and community development focus, and mutual learning. Impact of community based extension approaches on uptake of technologies, food security and livelihoods of poor groups was found to be broadly positive. Practical implications: Community based approaches appear sustainable where: communities provide support for their extensionists; community extensionists have marketable skills; communities and extensionists are developing Community Based Organisations (CBOs); and linkages are maintained with research and extension bodies. Community based extension approaches are being scaled-up in Malawi and elsewhere. To achieve sustainable pro-poor impacts, support will be needed for continued technical and community development training and back-stopping for community extensionists, and evaluation of different approaches. Originality/value: The study provides important evidence that community extensionists can help facilitate innovation in sustainable agriculture and reach the poor in a cost-effective way. They should be seen by policy-makers as part of pluralistic demand-driven extension, complementing over-stretched extension services. (Contains 6 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Costs; Socioeconomic Status; Social Class; College Students; College Admission; Student Diversity; Affirmative Action; Economically Disadvantaged; College Entrance Examinations; Scores; Student Organizations; Court Litigation

Abstract:
At Middlebury College--and on campuses throughout the country--class is coming out of the closet. Long hidden from view, economic status is emerging from the shadows, as once-taboo discussions are taking shape. The growing economic divide in America, and on American campuses, has given rise to new student organizations, and new dialogues, focused on raising awareness of class issues--and proposing solutions. With the U.S. Supreme Court likely to curtail the consideration of race in college admissions this year, the role of economic disadvantage as a basis for preferences could further raise the salience of class. Today's young people have grown up in a world unlike that of their parents. Class inequality has taken on much greater salience than racial inequality. Today's youth didn't grow up seeing fire hoses being trained on peaceful civil-rights demonstrators. Instead they have grown up in a country where racism continues to exist, but where voters elected and then re-elected a black president, and where Latinos are a rising political power. And they have come of age at a time of growing economic inequality, when the advantages of economic privilege are greater than ever before. Wealthy families have always had more resources to invest in their children, but the gap in that spending between wealthy and poor families has tripled since the 1970s. For 50 years, higher education has managed to avoid questions of class. But gaping economic disparity, changing student sentiment, and the U.S. Supreme Court seem likely to bring class back, once again, to the forefront. Having taken some modestly successful steps to include women and racial minorities, will the colleges accept the challenge? Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Academic Persistence; Time to Degree; Institutional Characteristics; School Demography; Disadvantaged Schools; Economically Disadvantaged; Advantaged; High Schools; Longitudinal Studies; High School Seniors; College Students; Multivariate Analysis; College Preparation; Difficulty Level; Family Characteristics; Transfer Rates (College)

Abstract:
Using a longitudinal sample of Texas high school seniors of 2002 who enrolled in college within the calendar year of high school graduation, we examine variation in college persistence according to the economic composition of their high schools, which serves as a proxy for unmeasured high school attributes that are conductive to postsecondary success. Students who graduated from affluent high schools have the highest persistence rates and those who attended poor high schools have the lowest rates. Multivariate analyses indicate that the advantages in persistence and on-time graduation from 4-year colleges enjoyed by graduates of affluent high schools cannot be fully explained by high school college orientation and academic rigor, family background, pre-college academic preparedness or the institutional characteristics. High school college orientation, family background and pre-college academic preparation largely explain why graduates from affluent high schools who first enroll in 2-year colleges have higher transfer rates to 4-year institutions; however, these factors and college characteristics do not explain the lower transfer rates for students from poor high schools. The conclusion discusses the implications of the empirical findings in light of several recent studies that call attention to the policy importance of high schools as a lever to improve persistence and completion rates via better institutional matches. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Middle Schools; Charter Schools; Middle School Students; Economically Disadvantaged; Low Income Groups; Outcomes of Education; Academic Achievement; Social Studies; Mathematics Achievement; Reading Achievement; Science Achievement; School Effectiveness; Student Characteristics; Institutional Characteristics; Scores; Thinking Skills; Student Behavior; Student Attitudes; Learner Engagement; Academic Aspiration; Well Being; Satisfaction; School Attitudes; Norm Referenced Tests; High Stakes Tests; Student Surveys; Parent Surveys

Abstract:
The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is a rapidly expanding network of public charter schools whose mission is to improve the education of low-income children. As of the 2012-2013 school year, 125 KIPP schools are in operation in 20 different states and the District of Columbia (DC). Ultimately, KIPP's goal is to prepare students to enroll and succeed in college. Prior research has suggested that KIPP schools have positive impacts on student achievement, but most of the studies have included only a few KIPP schools or have had methodological limitations. This is the second report of a national evaluation of KIPP middle schools being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research. The evaluation uses experimental and quasi-experimental methods to produce rigorous and comprehensive evidence on the effects of KIPP middle schools across the country. The study's first report, released in 2010, described strong positive achievement impacts in math and reading for the 22 KIPP middle schools for which data were available at the time. For this phase of the study, the authors nearly doubled the size of the sample, to 43 KIPP middle schools, including all KIPP middle schools that were open at the start of the study in 2010 for which they were able to acquire relevant data from local districts or states. The average impact of KIPP on student achievement is positive, statistically significant, and educationally substantial. KIPP impact estimates are consistently positive across the four academic subjects examined, in each of the first four years after enrollment in a KIPP school, and for all measurable student subgroups. A large majority of the individual KIPP schools in the study show positive impacts on student achievement as measured by scores on state-mandated assessments. KIPP produces similar positive impacts on the norm-referenced test, which includes items assessing higher-order thinking. Estimated impacts on measures of student attitudes and behavior are less frequently positive, but the authors found evidence that KIPP leads students to spend significantly more time on homework, and that KIPP increases levels of student and parent satisfaction with school. On the negative side, the findings suggest that enrollment in a KIPP school leads to an increase in the likelihood that students report engaging in undesirable behavior such as lying to or arguing with parents. These findings are described in this report. The following appendixes are included: (1) Sample selection and baseline characteristics; (2) Constructing survey outcomes; (3) Schools attended by lottery winners and lottery non-winners; (4) Analytic methods for the matched comparison group analysis; (5) Analytic methods for lottery-based analysis; and (6) Validation of matching methods using lottery-based impact estimates. (Contains 46 tables, 78 footnotes, and 16 figures.) [For "What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: 'KIPP Middle Schools: Impacts on Achievement and Other Outcomes, Final Report,'" see ED540896.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Cross Cultural Studies; Foreign Countries; English (Second Language); Teacher Attitudes; Work Ethic; Economically Disadvantaged; Socioeconomic Background; Role Models; Teacher Expectations of Students; Low Income Groups; Elementary School Students; Immigrants; Immigration; Teacher Behavior; At Risk Students; Spanish; Social Class; Middle Class; Hispanic American Students

Abstract:
This study explores teachers' academic expectations of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) in Costa Rica for the purpose of cross-cultural comparison. A group of 17 teachers from two different elementary schools located in a small town in Costa Rica were questioned about their expectations of low SES students enrolled in their classes. Findings show a mixture of favorable and unfavorable expectations of low SES students among the teachers. Teachers who hold unfavorable expectations describe the families of low SES students as poor role models with a poor work ethic. Findings suggest that teachers' unfavorable academic expectations for low SES students are influenced by student immigrant status. Cross-cultural similarities between the findings of this study and studies regarding teacher attitudes toward English learners of low SES in the U.S. are discussed followed by implications for the field of teacher education. The following are appended: (1) Survey--English version; and (2) Survey--Spanish version. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Well Being; Older Adults; Foreign Countries; Income; Social Capital; Neighborhoods; Marital Status; Economically Disadvantaged; Case Studies; Ownership; Real Estate; Prediction; Poverty; Services; Community Characteristics; Correlation

Abstract:
Purpose of the Study: We aimed to investigate whether social capital (obtaining support through indirect ties such as from neighbors) and social cohesion (interdependencies among neighbors) within neighborhoods positively affect the well being of older adults. Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 945 of 1,440 (66% response rate) independently living older adults (aged [greater than or equal] 70 years) in Rotterdam. We fitted a hierarchical random effects model to account for the hierarchical structure of the study design: 945 older adults (Level 1) nested in 72 neighborhoods (Level 2). Results: Univariate analyses showed that being born in the Netherlands, house ownership, education, income, social capital of individuals, neighborhood security, neighborhood services, neighborhood social capital, and neighborhood social cohesion were significantly related to the well being of older adults. Multilevel analyses showed that social capital of individuals, neighborhood services, neighborhood social capital, and neighborhood social cohesion predicted the well being of older adults. Single and poor older adults reported lower well being than did better off and married older adults. However, the effects of marital status and income were mediated by neighborhood services, social capital, and social cohesion. Neighborhood services, social capital, and social cohesion may act as buffer against the adverse effects of being single and poor on the well being of older adults. Implications: The results of this study support the importance of social capital of individuals, as well as social capital within the neighborhood and social cohesion within the neighborhood for well being of older adults. The well being of older adults may also be enhanced through the improvement of quality of neighborhood services. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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