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Showing papers on "Disadvantaged published in 2013"


ReportDOI
TL;DR: This paper showed that the vast majority of very high-achieving students who are low-income do not apply to any selective college or university, despite the fact that selective institutions would often cost them less, owing to generous financial aid, than the resource-poor two-year and non-selective four-year institutions to which they actually apply.
Abstract: We show that the vast majority of very high-achieving students who are low-income do not apply to any selective college or university. This is despite the fact that selective institutions would often cost them less, owing to generous financial aid, than the resource-poor two-year and non-selective four-year institutions to which they actually apply. Moreover, high-achieving, low-income students who do apply to selective institutions are admitted and graduate at high rates. We demonstrate that these low-income students' application behavior differs greatly from that of their high-income counterparts who have similar achievement. The latter group generally follows the advice to apply to a few "par" colleges, a few "reach" colleges, and a couple of "safety" schools. We separate the low-income, high-achieving students into those whose application behavior is similar to that of their high-income counterparts ("achievement-typical" behavior) and those whose apply to no selective institutions ("income-typical" behavior). We show that income-typical students do not come from families or neighborhoods that are more disadvantaged than those of achievement-typical students. However, in contrast to the achievement-typical students, the income-typical students come from districts too small to support selective public high schools, are not in a critical mass of fellow high achievers, and are unlikely to encounter a teacher or schoolmate from an older cohort who attended a selective college. We demonstrate that widely-used policies–college admissions staff recruiting, college campus visits, college access programs–are likely to be ineffective with income-typical students, and we suggest policies that will be effective must depend less on geographic concentration of high achievers.

671 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Home visitation by paraprofessionals is an intervention that holds promise for socially high-risk families with young children and Initiating the intervention prenatally and increasing the number of visits improves development and health outcomes for particular groups of children.
Abstract: Background: The effectiveness of paraprofessional home-visitations on improving the circumstances of disadvantaged families is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the effectiveness of paraprofessional home-visiting programs on developmental and health outcomes of young children from disadvantaged families. Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (e.g., CINAHL PLUS, Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE) from 1990 through May 2012 was supplemented by reference lists to search for relevant studies. Through the use of reliable tools, studies were assessed in duplicate. English language studies of paraprofessional home-visiting programs assessing specific outcomes for children (0-6 years) from disadvantaged families were eligible for inclusion in the review. Data extraction included the characteristics of the participants, intervention, outcomes and quality of the studies. Results: Studies that scored 13 or greater out of a total of 15 on the validity tool (n= 21) are the focus of this review. All studies are randomized controlled trials and most were conducted in the United States. Significant improvements to the development and health of young children as a result of a home-visiting program are noted for particular groups. These include: (a) prevention of child abuse in some cases, particularly when the intervention is initiated prenatally; (b) developmental benefits in relation to cognition and problem behaviours, and less consistently with language skills; and (c) reduced incidence of low birth weights and health problems in older children, and increased incidence of appropriate weight gain in early childhood. However, overall home-visiting programs are limited in improving the lives of socially high-risk children who live in disadvantaged families. Conclusions: Home visitation by paraprofessionals is an intervention that holds promise for socially high-risk families with young children. Initiating the intervention prenatally and increasing the number of visits improves development and health outcomes for particular groups of children. Future studies should consider what dose of the intervention is most beneficial and address retention issues.

297 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A social psychological perspective illuminates the intergroup, interpersonal, and intrapersonal processes by which structural circumstances which differ between groups for historical, political, and economic reasons can lead to group differences in health.
Abstract: Objective: This article considers how the social psychology of intergroup processes helps to explain the presence and persistence of health disparities between members of socially advantaged and disadvantaged groups. Method: Social psychological theory and research on intergroup relations, including prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, stigma, prejudice concerns, social identity threat, and the dynamics of intergroup interactions, is reviewed and applied to understand group disparities in health and health care. Potential directions for future research are considered. Results: Key features of group relations and dynamics, including social categorization, social hierarchy, and the structural positions of groups along dimensions of perceived warmth and competence, influence how members of high status groups perceive, feel about, and behave toward members of low status groups, how members of low status groups construe and cope with their situation, and how members of high and low status groups interact with each other. These intergroup processes, in turn, contribute to health disparities by leading to differential exposure to and experiences of chronic and acute stress, different health behaviors, and different quality of health care experienced by members of advantaged and disadvantaged groups. Within each of these pathways, social psychological theory and research identifies mediating mechanisms, moderating factors, and individual differences that can affect health. Conclusions: A social psychological perspective illuminates the intergroup, interpersonal, and intrapersonal processes by which structural circumstances which differ between groups for historical, political, and economic reasons can lead to group differences in health.

182 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: This paper found that highly effective principals raise the achievement of a typical student in their schools by between two and seven months of learning in a single school year; ineffective principals lower achievement by the same amount.
Abstract: It is widely believed that a good principal is the key to a successful school. No Child Left Behind encouraged the replacement of the principal in persistently low-performing schools, and the Obama administration has made this a requirement for schools undergoing federally funded turnarounds. Foundations have invested millions over the past decade in New Leaders for New Schools, an organization that recruits nontraditional principal candidates and prepares them for the challenges of school leadership. And the recently launched George W. Bush Institute is making the principalship a focus of its activities. Yet until very recently there was little rigorous research demonstrating the importance of principal quality for student outcomes, much less the specific practices that cause some principals to be more successful than others. As is often the case in education policy discussions, we have relied on anecdotes instead. This study provides new evidence on the importance of school leadership by estimating individual principals' contributions to growth in student achievement. Our approach is quite similar to studies that measure teachers' "value added" to student achievement, except that the calculation is applied to the entire school. Specifically, we measure how average gains in achievement, adjusted for individual student and school characteristics, differ across principals--both in different schools and in the same school at different points in time. From this, we are able to determine how much effectiveness varies from one nrincinal to the next Our results indicate that highly effective principals raise the achievement of a typical student in their schools by between two and seven months of learning in a single school year; ineffective principals lower achievement by the same amount. These impacts are somewhat smaller than those associated with having a highly effective teacher. But teachers have a direct impact on only those students in their classroom; differences in principal quality affect all students in a given school. We also investigate one widely discussed mechanism through which principals affect student achievement: the management of teacher transitions. Importantly, because high teacher turnover can be associated with both improvement and decline in the quality of instruction, the amount of turnover on its own provides little insight into the wisdom of a principal's personnel decisions. We confirm, however, that teachers who leave schools with the most-successful principals are much more likely to have been among the less-effective teachers in their school than teachers leaving schools run by less-successful principals. The final component of our analysis considers the dynamics of the principal labor market, comparing the effectiveness of principals who move on to those who stay in their initial schools. Constrained by salary inertia and the historical absence of good performance measures, the principal labor market does not appear to weed out those principals who are least successful in raising student achievement. This is especially true in schools serving disadvantaged students. This is troubling, as the demands of leading such schools, including the need to attract and retain high-quality teachers despite less desirable working conditions, may amplify the importance of having an effective leader. The Texas Database Our analysis relies on administrative data constructed as part of the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Texas Schools Project. Working with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), this project has combined different data sources to create matched data sets of students, teachers, and principals over many school years. The data include all Texas public-school teachers, administrators, staff, and students in each year, permitting accurate descriptions of the schools led by each principal. The Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), TEA's statewide database, reports key demographic data, including race, ethnicity, and gender for students and school personnel, as well as student eligibility for subsidized lunch (a standard indicator of poverty). …

181 citations


01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: The Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an accessible summary of educational research which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
Abstract: The Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an accessible summary of educational research which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The Toolkit currently covers 33 topics, each summarised in terms of their average impact on attainment, the strength of the evidence supporting them and their cost. The Toolkit is a live resource which will be updated on a regular basis as findings from EEF-funded projects and other high-quality research becomes available.

162 citations


11 Jul 2013
TL;DR: For example, despite growing levels of prosperity over the last two decades, and the unemployment rate more than halving, there are concerns within the community that some Australians are being left behind.
Abstract: Strong economic growth is a way of increasing living standards and opportunities. Yet despite growing levels of prosperity over the last two decades, and the unemployment rate more than halving, there are concerns within the community that some Australians are being ‘left behind’. Headline statistics on Australia’s most disadvantaged people frequently appear in the media, with the number of Australians living below the poverty line being often quoted. But little attention is given to explaining what lies behind these statistics, how much of the story they tell, and the judgments that sit behind them. Poverty, for example, focuses on just one facet of disadvantage and the basis for drawing a line between those living in poverty and those who are not is not always clear. Nor is it often explained that many of the headline statistics provide a static picture of disadvantage. But what happens over time matters. For example, people can move in and out of disadvantage relatively quickly — such as when they first enter the workforce — while others can remain disadvantaged for extended periods of time. Following the same people over a number of years is critical to understanding deep and persistent disadvantage. Understanding why people become (and remain) disadvantaged, and the consequences of disadvantage, is challenging. Many of the factors are interlinked, and when combined, can have a compounding effect. Measuring the costs of disadvantage, and who bears them, is also far from straightforward. A lack of understanding about disadvantage can contribute to misplaced community concerns. It can also be an impediment to good public policy. Sound policy development should be built on an evidence-based understanding of the nature, depth and persistence of disadvantage and the costs it imposes on individuals and the broader Australian community. Support for people who are disadvantaged and the funding of programs to overcome disadvantage can also involve large amounts of taxpayers’ money.

152 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Parent training programs are equally effective for disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged families immediately posttreatment, at least when initial problems are severe, suggesting that more sustained family support may be needed.
Abstract: Disadvantaged family socioeconomic status (SES) is often assumed to diminish parent training program effectiveness. In examining effects of SES, influences of initial problem severity have been largely ignored. In the present meta-analysis, we examined (a) whether there is a differential influence of SES on parent training effectiveness at immediate posttreatment and at 1-year follow-up-controlling for levels of initial problem severity--and (b) whether SES interacts with initial problem severity in its effect on program effectiveness. Seventy-five studies on parent training program effectiveness to reduce disruptive child behavior were included. Separate analyses were conducted for immediate posttreatment and approximately 1-year follow-up assessments. Immediately posttreatment, disadvantaged samples benefited less from parent training, but only when they had low levels of initial problem severity. At follow-up, disadvantaged samples benefited less from parent training regardless of initial problem severity. Initial problem severity was a strong predictor of effect sizes both immediately posttreatment and at follow-up. Parent training programs are equally effective for disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged families immediately posttreatment, at least when initial problems are severe. Maintenance of treatment gain, however, seems harder for disadvantaged families, suggesting that more sustained family support may be needed.

151 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors develop the theoretical argument that if coproduction programs were designed to lift constraints on disadvantaged citizens, they might increase both efficiency and equity, and they are tested using a field experiment on educational services.
Abstract: Public managers and researchers devote much attention to the benefits of coproduction, or the mixing of the productive efforts of public employees and citizens in public service design and delivery. One concern, however, is the distributional consequences of coproduction. This article proposes that disadvantaged citizens may be constrained by a lack of knowledge or other resources necessary to contribute to and benefit from the coproduction process. From this assumption, the authors develop the theoretical argument that if coproduction programs were designed to lift constraints on disadvantaged citizens, they might increase both efficiency and equity. This claim is tested using a field experiment on educational services. A coproduction program providing immigrant parents with knowledge and materials useful to their children's early educational development had a substantial positive impact on the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children, thereby diminishing inequity. Economically, the program was more efficient than later compensation of low-performing children.

148 citations


DOI
17 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the complexities in measuring poverty and studying its effects on young children, up to age 5-years when most children leave early education programs and enter formal schooling.
Abstract: In this chapter, we examine associations between poverty and young children’s development, up to age 5-years when most children leave early education programs and enter formal schooling.1 First, we explore the complexities in measuring poverty and studying its effects on young children. In so doing, we review key large-scale, national studies that have been used to examine poverty’s effects on child development. Second, findings gleaned from these studies on direct associations between poverty and children’s cognitive, verbal, and behavioral outcomes during the first 5 years of life are reviewed. The extent to which depth and persistence of poverty moderate these associations is also addressed in this section. Third, we consider the potential pathways through which poverty may influence child development. Here, two theories frame the discussion, one emphasizing the role of familial relationships and parenting (Conger & Elder, 1994; Elder & Caspi, 1988; McLoyd, 1990) and another stressing the impact of parental investments in resources for children (Becker, 1991; Mayer, 1997). We address links between family poverty and maternal mental health and parent-child interactions as part of the former model. The latter theory encompasses associations between poverty status and factors such as the quality of home environment, neighborhoods, nonmaternal child care, and health and nutrition. Finally, we consider the role of public policy in the lives of children growing up in poverty. Early intervention programs and welfare policy are highlighted as two policy areas that have changed over the past decade and play a significant role in the lives of young children living in poverty. Early intervention programs, particularly those including center-based services beginning in infancy, have shown immediate and strong positive effects on low-income children’s IQ scores (Campbell & Ramey, 1994) and sociobehavioral outcomes (Yoshikawa, 1995). The welfare reform bill passed in 1996, which mandated work requirements and time restrictions for recipients, dramatically altered the daily lives of female-headed households with young children. Results from preliminary welfare reform experiments suggest that although the effects of earning supplements for welfare recipients had a positive impact on preschool and young school-age children, work requirements and time limits had mixed impacts (Morris, Huston, Duncan, Crosby, & Bos, 2001). In our discussion of both initiatives, we present early childhood as a time of great vulnerability and great opportunity for children.

146 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors extend research on neighborhood social isolation by examining residents of disadvantaged and advantaged communities and considering the character of neighborhoods where people conduct routine activities away from home, and find that social isolation is experienced by residents of both highly disadvantaged and highly advantaged neighborhoods because the two groups spend time in largely nonoverlapping parts of the city.
Abstract: In this article, we extend research on neighborhood social isolation by (1) examining residents of disadvantaged and advantaged communities and (2) considering the character of neighborhoods where people conduct routine activities away from home. We contend that social isolation is experienced by residents of both highly disadvantaged and highly advantaged neighborhoods because the two groups spend time in largely nonoverlapping parts of the city. Individual and neighborhood race-ethnic dynamics exacerbate such social isolation. Data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey show that social isolation is experienced by residents of all areas of the city, whether highly disadvantaged or advantaged. African Americans, Latinos and residents of areas with many Latinos suffer additional penalties in the social isolation of disadvantage in where they conduct routine activities.

146 citations


Book
22 Mar 2013
TL;DR: Heckman argues that the accident of birth is the greatest source of inequality in America today and proposes a refocus of social policy toward early childhood interventions designed to enhance both cognitive abilities and such non-cognitive skills as confidence and perseverance as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A top economist weighs in on one of the most urgent questions of our times: What is the source of inequality and what is the remedy? In Giving Kids a Fair Chance, Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman argues that the accident of birth is the greatest source of inequality in America today Children born into disadvantage are, by the time they start kindergarten, already at risk of dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, crime, and a lifetime of low-wage work This is bad for all those born into disadvantage and bad for American society Current social and education policies directed toward children focus on improving cognition, yet success in life requires more than smarts Heckman calls for a refocus of social policy toward early childhood interventions designed to enhance both cognitive abilities and such non-cognitive skills as confidence and perseverance This new focus on preschool intervention would emphasize improving the early environments of disadvantaged children and increasing the quality of parenting while respecting the primacy of the family and America's cultural diversity Heckman shows that acting early has much greater positive economic and social impact than later interventions -- which range from reduced pupil-teacher ratios to adult literacy programs to expenditures on police -- that draw the most attention in the public policy debate At a time when state and local budgets for early interventions are being cut, Heckman issues an urgent call for action and offers some practical steps for how to design and pay for new programs The debate that follows delves deeply into some of the most fraught questions of our time: the sources of inequality, the role of schools in solving social problems, and how to invest public resources most effectively Mike Rose, Geoffrey Canada, Charles Murray, Carol Dweck, Annette Lareau, and other prominent experts participate

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings indicate that disadvantaged consumers living on the lower eastside of Detroit, Michigan bypass their neighborhood food environments, to shop at independent, discount and regional supermarkets located in other parts of the city and in the suburbs.

01 Jul 2013
TL;DR: The authors showed that economic growth is linked with educational attainment and high wage premiums indicate that we need more college-educated workers, and that income inequality is driven largely by access to college.
Abstract: Introduction Americans are undereducated. Section One Economic growth is linked with educational attainment. Section Two High wage premiums indicate that we need more college-educated workers. Section Three Income inequality is driven largely by access to college.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined the interrelated nature of preservice teachers' biases and beliefs regarding culturally diverse students in the context of achievement goal theory and multicultural education, and drew on insights from achievement goals and achievement goals.
Abstract: This study draws on insights from achievement goal theory and multicultural education to examine the interrelated nature of preservice teachers’ biases and beliefs regarding culturally diverse stud...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that children taught how to apply Mental contrasting with implementation intentions to their academic wishes and concerns significantly improved their report card grades, attendance, and conduct.
Abstract: The current intervention tested whether a metacognitive self-regulatory strategy of goal pursuit can help economically disadvantaged children convert positive thoughts and images about their future into effective action. Mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) entails mental contrasting a desired future with relevant obstacles of reality and forming implementation intentions (if-then plans) specifying when and where to overcome those obstacles. Seventy-seven fifth graders from an urban middle school were randomly assigned to learn either MCII or a Positive Thinking control strategy. Compared to children in the control condition, children taught how to apply MCII to their academic wishes and concerns significantly improved their report card grades (η2 = .07), attendance (η2 = .05), and conduct (η2 = .07). These findings suggest that MCII holds considerable promise for helping disadvantaged middle school children improve their academic performance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Overall, these results are consistent with data from OECD countries and confirm that the digital divide represents a big social challenge, revealing that schools still have to develop effective strategies to balance social and learning opportunities among students.
Abstract: Over the last decades, the issue of digital divide has received particular attention from international bodies and researchers in Western countries. One of the main reasons for this growing interest is related to the implications that digital inequalities have for social development and particularly for education. Despite the relevance of the issue, there are still few studies on the digital divide in China and even less on Chinese K-12 schools' students. This paper aims at exploring the digital divide issues among Chinese children from an educational and social perspective. Four schools were selected, involving 658 students aged 10-14. Nine hypotheses on Internet inequality indicators (DiMaggio & Hargittai, 2001) and their possible outcomes were tested. The study found that: (1) students' Internet access at home is better than that at school; (2) compared with parents, teachers have more positive influence on students' Internet behaviour; (3) students from rural or migrant schools score lower on all the Internet inequality indicators (digital access, autonomy of use, social support, Internet use and self-efficacy) and are therefore more disadvantaged in Internet usage status than their urban peers; (4) there are no significant gender differences; (5) the more education parents have received, the better the conditions of their children according to the listed Internet inequality indicators; (6) the dimensions of the Internet inequality indicators (technical apparatus, autonomy of use, availability of social support, variation of use) are significantly correlated to students' Internet self-efficacy; (7) there is high correlation between students' Internet self-efficacy and their exploring behaviours of Internet use and their academic performance. Overall, these results are consistent with data from OECD countries and confirm that the digital divide represents a big social challenge, revealing that schools still have to develop effective strategies to balance social and learning opportunities among students.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argue that the fewer the resources to which people have access, the more their circumstances will depend on the organizations in which they participate, the systems in which these organizations operate, and the institutions governing the behavior of both.
Abstract: The recent economic recession and a sluggish recovery have made conditions especially precarious for the most disadvantaged members of the urban poor population—those with criminal records, health conditions, undocumented status, or unstable housing. We argue that the fewer the resources to which people have access, the more their circumstances will depend on the organizations in which they participate, the systems in which these organizations operate, and the institutions governing the behavior of both. We call for a renewed focus on systems, institutions, and organizations among researchers who study urban disadvantage, and review a series of studies that show the promise of these perspectives.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Unified Sports does provide a vehicle for promoting the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities that is theoretically credible in terms of social capital scholarship and which contains lessons for advancing social inclusion in other contexts, but certain limitations are identified.
Abstract: Background Although the promotion of social inclusion through sports has received increased attention with other disadvantaged groups, this is not the case for children and adults with intellectual disability who experience marked social isolation. The study evaluated the outcomes from one sports programme with particular reference to the processes that were perceived to enhance social inclusion. Method The Youth Unified Sports programme of Special Olympics combines players with intellectual disabilities (called athletes) and those without intellectual disabilities (called partners) of similar skill level in the same sports teams for training and competition. Alongside the development of sporting skills, the programme offers athletes a platform to socialise with peers and to take part in the life of their community. Unified football and basketball teams from five countries – Germany, Hungary, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine – participated. Individual and group interviews were held with athletes, partners, coaches, parents and community leaders: totalling around 40 informants per country. Results Qualitative data analysis identified four thematic processes that were perceived by informants across all countries and the two sports to facilitate social inclusion of athletes. These were: (1) the personal development of athletes and partners; (2) the creation of inclusive and equal bonds; (3) the promotion of positive perceptions of athletes; and (4) building alliances within local communities. Conclusions Unified Sports does provide a vehicle for promoting the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities that is theoretically credible in terms of social capital scholarship and which contains lessons for advancing social inclusion in other contexts. Nonetheless, certain limitations are identified that require further consideration to enhance athletes' social inclusion in the wider community.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This overview of postsecondary education in the United States reviews the dramatic changes over the past fifty years in the students who go to college, the institutions that produce higher education, and the ways it is financed.
Abstract: This overview of postsecondary education in the United States reviews the dramatic changes over the past fifty years in the students who go to college, the institutions that produce higher education, and the ways it is financed The article, by Sandy Baum, Charles Kurose, and Michael McPherson, creates the context for the articles that follow on timely issues facing the higher education community and policy makers The authors begin by observing that even the meaning of college has changed The term that once referred primarily to a four-year period of academic study now applies to virtually any postsecondary study—academic or occupational, public or private, two-year or four-year—that can result in a certificate or degree They survey the factors underlying the expansion of postsecondary school enrollments; the substantial increases in female, minority, disadvantaged, and older students; the development of public community colleges; and the rise of for-profit colleges They discuss the changing ways in which federal and state governments help students and schools defray the costs of higher education as well as more recent budget tensions that are now reducing state support to public colleges And they review the forces that have contributed to the costs of producing higher education and thus rising tuitions The authors also cite evidence on broad measures of college persistence and outcomes, including low completion rates at community and for-profit colleges, the increasing need for remedial education for poorly prepared high school students, and a growing gap between the earnings of those with a bachelor’s degree and those with less education They disagree with critics who say that investments in higher education, particularly for students at the margin, no longer pay off A sustained investment in effective education at all levels is vital to the nation’s future, they argue But they caution that the American public no longer seems willing to pay more for more students to get more education They therefore urge the higher education community to make every effort to find innovations, including creative uses of information technology, that can hold down costs while producing quality education

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that attending a participatory research elective class during the school day was associated with increases in sociopolitical skills, motivation to influence their schools and communities, and participatory behavior.
Abstract: Although there is much practice of community-based participatory research in economically-developing countries and increasingly in North America, there has been little systematic assessment of empowerment effects. Youth-led participatory research holds particular promise for fostering positive development and civic participation among economically disadvantaged urban youth. The present investigation uses a clustered-randomized, within-school experimental design to test the effects of youth-led participatory research on the psychological empowerment of 401 students attending urban public schools. We find that attending a participatory research elective class during the school day was associated with increases in sociopolitical skills, motivation to influence their schools and communities, and participatory behavior. We found no significant effects for perceived control at school. The implications for participatory research and related youth development interventions are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The changing demography of US families has increased both generations' need for family assistance among those already disadvantaged and has exacerbated differences between the socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged in the availability of kin support.
Abstract: Demographic changes in who becomes a parent, how many children parents have, and the marital statuses of parents and children affect the extent to which parents and adult children provide for each other later in life. We describe these demographic changes and their implications for the help parents and children give each other throughout their adult years. The changing demography of US families has increased both generations' need for family assistance among those already disadvantaged and has exacerbated differences between the socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged in the availability of kin support. Variations in the marital histories of parents and children also contribute to a divergence between mother-child and father-child relationships in later life. The churning of couple relationships in both generations blurs the boundaries between who is in the family and who is not, threatening the effectiveness of the family safety net among those who may need it the most.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The evidence shows that public community colleges may provide an equal or better education at lower cost than for-profits, but budget pressures mean that community colleges and other nonselective public institutions may not be able to meet the demand for higher education.
Abstract: For-profit, or proprietary, colleges are the fastest-growing postsecondary schools in the nation, enrolling a disproportionately high share of disadvantaged and minority students and those ill-prepared for college. Because these schools, many of them big national chains, derive most of their revenue from taxpayer-funded student financial aid, they are of interest to policy makers not only for the role they play in the higher education spectrum but also for the value they provide their students. In this article, David Deming, Claudia Goldin, and Lawrence Katz look at the students who attend for-profits, the reasons they choose these schools, and student outcomes on a number of broad measures and draw several conclusions. First, the authors write, the evidence shows that public community colleges may provide an equal or better education at lower cost than for-profits. But budget pressures mean that community colleges and other nonselective public institutions may not be able to meet the demand for higher education. Some students unable to get into desired courses and programs at public institutions may face only two alternatives: attendance at a for-profit or no postsecondary education at all. Second, for-profits appear to be at their best with well-defined programs of short duration that prepare students for a specific occupation. But for-profit completion rates, default rates, and labor market outcomes for students seeking associate’s or higher degrees compare unfavorably with those of public postsecondary institutions. In principle, taxpayer investment in student aid should be accompanied by scrutiny concerning whether students complete their course of study and subsequently earn enough to justify the investment and pay back their student loans. Designing appropriate regulations to help students navigate the market for higher education has proven to be a challenge because of the great variation in student goals and types of programs. Ensuring that potential students have complete and objective information about the costs and expected benefits of for-profit programs could improve postsecondary education opportunities for disadvantaged students and counter aggressive and potentially misleading recruitment practices at for-profit colleges, the authors write.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Interventions that improve social support for smoking cessation may be of greater importance to disadvantaged groups who experience fewer opportunities to access such support informally, and peer-support programs are emerging as highly effective and empowering ways for people to manage health issues in a socially supportive context.
Abstract: The burden of smoking is borne most by those who are socially disadvantaged and the social gradient in smoking contributes substantially to the health gap between the rich and poor. A number of factors contribute to higher tobacco use among socially disadvantaged populations including social (e.g., low social support for quitting), psychological (e.g., low self-efficacy) and physical factors (e.g., greater nicotine dependence). Current evidence for the effectiveness of peer or partner support interventions in enhancing the success of quit attempts in the general population is equivocal, largely due to study design and lack of a theoretical framework in this research. We conducted a systematic review of peer support interventions for smoking cessation in disadvantaged groups. The eight studies which met the inclusion criteria showed that interventions that improve social support for smoking cessation may be of greater importance to disadvantaged groups who experience fewer opportunities to access such support informally. Peer-support programs are emerging as highly effective and empowering ways for people to manage health issues in a socially supportive context. We discuss the potential for peer-support programs to address the high prevalence of smoking in vulnerable populations and also to build capacity in their communities.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, high-school students from disadvantaged high schools in Toronto were invited to take two surveys, about three weeks apart, and half of the students taking the first survey were also shown a three-minute video about the benefits of post-secondary education.
Abstract: High-school students from disadvantaged high schools in Toronto were invited to take two surveys, about three weeks apart. Half of the students taking the first survey were also shown a three-minute video about the benefits of post-secondary education (PSE) and were invited to try out a financial-aid calculator. Most students’ perceived returns to PSE were high, even among those not expecting to continue. Those exposed to the video, especially those initially unsure about their own educational attainment, reported significantly higher expected returns and lower concerns about costs, and expressed a greater likelihood of PSE attainment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a literature review draws from a wide array of interdisciplinary research to argue that fathers need to be included in child welfare practice and research to the same extent as mothers.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: U.S. hospitals caring for more disadvantaged patients fared worse in the first year of Medicare's Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program, and over time, such resource reductions may cause the quality of care to deteriorate in hospitals serving more disadvantaged Patients.
Abstract: U.S. hospitals caring for more disadvantaged patients fared worse in the first year of Medicare's Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program. Over time, such resource reductions may cause the quality of care to deteriorate in hospitals serving more disadvantaged patients.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper showed that this finding is vulnerable to a spurious statistical artefact known as regression to the mean and proposed the application of an alternative methodology to address this problem, and no longer find convincing evidence that able but disadvantaged pupils fall behind their more advantaged but less able peers.
Abstract: Summary. A gap in cognitive skill between richer and poorer children is evident from a very early age. Some studies have also suggested that highly able children from disadvantaged homes are overtaken by their rich but less able peers before the age of 10 years, in terms of their cognitive skill. This finding has become a widely cited ‘fact’ within the academic literature and has had a major influence on public policy and political debate. We show that this finding is vulnerable to a spurious statistical artefact known as regression to the mean and we propose the application of an alternative methodology to address this problem. After applying some simple adjustments for regression to the mean to data from the Millennium Cohort Study, we no longer find convincing evidence that able but disadvantaged pupils fall behind their more advantaged but less able peers.

Book
21 Aug 2013
TL;DR: Traci Burch as discussed by the authors used data from neighborhoods with imprisonment rates up to fourteen times the national average to chart demographic features that include information about imprisonment, probation, and parole, as well as voter turnout and volunteerism.
Abstract: The United States imprisons far more people, total and per capita, than any other country in the world. Among the more than 1.5 million Americans currently incarcerated, minorities and the poor are disproportionately represented. What's more, they tend to come from just a few of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the country. While the political costs of this phenomenon remain poorly understood, it's become increasingly clear that the effects of this mass incarceration are much more pervasive than previously thought, extending beyond those imprisoned to the neighbors, family, and friends left behind. For Trading Democracy for Justice, Traci Burch has drawn on data from neighborhoods with imprisonment rates up to fourteen times the national average to chart demographic features that include information about imprisonment, probation, and parole, as well as voter turnout and volunteerism. She presents powerful evidence that living in a high-imprisonment neighborhood significantly decreases political participation. Similarly, people living in these neighborhoods are less likely to engage with their communities through volunteer work. What results is the demobilization of entire neighborhoods and the creation of vast inequalities-even among those not directly affected by the criminal justice system. The first book to demonstrate the ways in which the institutional effects of imprisonment undermine already disadvantaged communities, Trading Democracy for Justice speaks to issues at the heart of democracy.

Journal ArticleDOI
Jonathan Ilan1
TL;DR: In this article, the lives of a group of young men on Ireland's socio-economic periphery, focusing on how exclusion shapes their cultural orientation and orders their spatial practices, are examined.
Abstract: This article reflects on the lives of a group of young men on Ireland's socio-economic periphery, focusing on how exclusion shapes their cultural orientation and orders their spatial practices. Whilst populist imaginaries and certain academic understandings of young, disadvantaged, urban males tend to cast them in the role of claiming and violently defending territories, their relationships to space may be considerably more transient and fluid. Within the late-modern 'liquid city' exclusion has cast the young men researched here into migratory practices, where they must negotiate relationships with potentially hostile peers in various parts of the urban environment. Adopting street cultural norms of rugged masculinity, crimino-entrepreneurialism and the recourse to violence can result in the accumulation of 'street social capital'. This can allow disadvantaged young people to secure a sense of existential security, pleasurable experiences, disposable income and a culturally mediated notion of dignity, despite their spatial and socio-economic exclusion. © The Author(s), 2012 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Journal ArticleDOI
30 Aug 2013-Science
TL;DR: Poverty-related concerns impair cognitive capacity and could explain data showing that the poor are likelier than others to behave in ways that are harmful to health and impede long-term success—in short, behaviors that can perpetuate a disadvantaged state.
Abstract: Few people wish to be poor. Many find it puzzling that those in poverty seem to get stuck in that state, even when there are opportunities to improve one's lot. On page 976 of this issue, Mani et al. ( 1 ) provide a possible reason: Poverty-related concerns impair cognitive capacity. Simply put, being poor taps out one's mental reserves. This could explain data showing that the poor are likelier than others to behave in ways that are harmful to health and impede long-term success—in short, behaviors that can perpetuate a disadvantaged state.