Poverty can substantially limit access to books. Access to books is a significant predictor of academic success, and lack of access jeopardizes literacy development and expands academic achievement gaps. We examined an evolving collaborative effort to increase book access in a region in the southern United States. The collaborations involve a…

Faced with the problem of how to measure the magnitude of economic disadvantage in the populations served by schools or districts, researchers addressing school finance topics have invariably turned to the fraction of students eligible for free- or reduced-lunches (FRPL). But the facile dependence on FRPL may be problematic. A large and growing…

Educators and caregivers can foster emotional wellbeing, growth, and resilience, contributing to a fulfilling and balanced adulthood by providing positive childhood experiences (PCEs). PCEs protect the brain and promote healing for people who have experienced adverse childhood environments (ACEs). In the presence of PCEs, adverse experiences in…

This study finds substantial reductions to criminal activity from the introduction of a comprehensive high school support program for disadvantaged youth living in the largest public housing project in Toronto. The program, called Pathways to Education, bundles supports such as regular coaching, tutoring, group activities, free public…

Using a mixed research design, the overall objective of this study is to investigate the profiles of child labour in Ethiopia's districts of Raya-Kobo and Angot. The study's specific objectives are to examine types of activities and prevalence of child labour, to identify the children's working contexts, and to evaluate the extent of harm children…

Youth interpersonal firearm violence disproportionately affects Black youth, with residential racial segregation as a key determinant. Racially segregated neighborhoods, which are economically isolated (e.g., neighborhood disadvantage), are linked to increased exposure to violence. This exposure, in turn, is a determinant of youth firearm…

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a common measure used to gauge social, cultural, and financial capital in scientific literature. Over time, SES research has produced an extremely wide and inconsistently used variety of SES variables and components. This study will review research that estimates SES and will examine common components and trends from…

School leaders juggle the often-inconsistent goals of maintaining support of middle- and upper-income families for public education and, at the same time, implementing policies to strengthen equity for low-income students. Author Iris C. Rotberg describes how these tradeoffs play out in different communities, the role of concentrated poverty and…

This article focuses on two major issues in contemporary Catholic social justice: care for the poor and the inclusion of migrants and refugees. The care for the poor is examined in the gospels and in the contemporary articulation of the preferential option for the poor, drawing on the theology of Gustavo Gutiérrez and Jon Sobrino. Pope Francis and…

This study focused on evaluating the project on vocational training for rural laborers in Vietnam with respect to its effectiveness in employment creation and poverty reduction among rural laborers. The investigation took the form of a case study; official policy statistics, a survey of 300 project participants and interviews with eight vocational…

National Summary Reports are part of the cycle for reporting on the implementation of the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC). Attainment advisors, in collaboration with their associated local authority, produce reports triannually. This ensures a continuous narrative where thematic next steps are identified and subsequent progress evaluated.…

Teaching is a profession facing many challenges; among the greatest is high teacher turnover, which is even greater in high-poverty schools. Working conditions are ranked lower in high-poverty schools, contributing to the increased turnover in those schools. Principals have a high impact on teacher turnover, second in impact only to socio-economic…

The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to understand the hiring practices of a school district when considering a principal and how the school district attends to leadership within those hiring practices. The central premise of the study was leadership matters and is second to teaching in student achievement. However, the historical…

There are concerns globally about the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people and in this paper a critical orientation comprises both theoretical and empirical data sources. The case is made that (1) the medical model of mental health -- that of problem identification, diagnosis and medical treatment at the level of the individual --…

The challenge of obtaining an education is more difficult for students living in poverty. Given the responsibilities of educators to support these students and their unique needs, it is critical to identify their level of awareness of what they struggle with, and to provide guidance on how to develop strategies to utilize to support these students…