Changes in the face of school-age America have profound implications for educational policy. As of 1990, 1 of 6 children lived in poverty, and a growing number were from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, more than one in six of the nation's third graders changed schools frequently. This mobility is just one aspect of changing conditions that strain the economic and professional capabilities of the nation's schools. In the 1980s, the number of poor school children increased to 7.6 million as the total school age population declined by 2.3 million. Since then, child poverty has continued to increase, as it has become national in scope, spreading beyond the traditional large city and isolated rural areas. As the poor school-age population has increased, the numbers of immigrant and at-risk children have grown and have become scattered throughout the nation. Policymakers and school officials must assist all children and must work with a greater diversity than ever before under increasing cost constraints. (SLD)