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Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.
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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
Type
State
Issue
Daily Journal, May 18, 2013: (Editorial) Keeping low-income students from being throwaway kids
"As Richard Weissbourd continues to find teachers and schools focusing on the life-diminishing troubles of the increasing number of low-income children across the nation, I'll be reporting them here along with those I discover elsewhere."
Daily Camera, May 18, 2013: (Op-Ed) It starts at home
"All the while, low-income students' parents cannot pay for books or games. They cannot afford tutors or extra curricular and enrichment activities. They generally have to work more and consequently cannot spend a lot of individual time with their kids. For that same reason, they cannot volunteer in classrooms. Sometimes they do not have sufficient education to help their kids with schoolwork. And they often do not bestow the value of education upon their children."
Times-Picayune, May 17, 2013: (Op-Ed) Scholarship program shouldn't be a dream deferred
"The latest barrier being put in the way of children's interests is the decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court that the funding method for the Louisiana Scholarship Program is unconstitutional. Fortunately there is a fix. Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature must find a different method to fund the program, which allows some low-income families to send their children to private and parochial schools."
Iowa City Press-Citizen, May 17, 2013: A visual look at poverty and test scores in Iowa City
"This spreadsheet lists each grade at each school from this past fall's Iowa Assessments. The first four columns represent school-wide percentile rankings in main subject areas."
Iowa City Press-Citizen, May 17, 2013: Test scores illustrate poverty gap
"The reasons low-income children sometimes perform worse on exams aren't totally clear, even to administrators and researchers who study the issue, said Pam Ehly, the Iowa City Community School District's instruction director. It's difficult to pinpoint what the reason is - you can look at correlates like if they didn't engage in preschool, that's a factor. If you don't have funds as a family for additional opportunities like going to a museum or having books at home, those factors become compounded and it has an effect,' she said."
Omaha World-Herald, May 17, 2013: Learning Community plans programs to help kids in poverty
"The 11-district cooperative in the Omaha area originally lacked explicit authority for programs targeting children under age 5. State law called for programs aimed at elementary-age children. Nebraska lawmakers this month gave the education cooperative new spending authority and authorized expansion into early childhood education for children in poverty."
The Atlantic, May 16, 2013: Why American Colleges Are Becoming a Force for Inequality
"Far from wanting to enroll more low-income students, colleges recruit more affluent ones who will pay full price to attend. A follow-up survey of college business officers found that the most common strategy to deal with financial challenges in the next few years was to raise net tuition revenue.'"
The Spokesman-Review, May 16, 2013: Spokane expands full-day kindergarten to all schools
"Currently, 15 of the district's highest-poverty schools offer full-day kindergarten. This decision expands the opportunity to 19 more schools and would mean hiring the equivalent of at least 25 full-time teaching positions and possibly 27 other faculty, such as counselors."
The News & Observer, May 16, 2013: (Op-Ed) How school vouchers successfully customize education, change lives
"The debate over a private learning option for poor schoolchildren in North Carolina has a familiar ring to it because Florida faced similar fears a dozen years ago. But a targeted and accountable scholarship can strengthen our commitment to equal educational opportunity by giving more tools to the students who face the greatest odds."
The Commercial Appeal, May 16, 2013: (Op-Ed) Quality teachers foster student quality
"Poverty has a massive impact on our students, and it is without question an enormous challenge in the work of educators in Memphis. It is critical that states and cities, churches and nonprofit organizations, businesses and civic groups work together with schools and continue to address the underlying causes of poverty."
Springfield News-Leader, May 14, 2013: Home-life worries can disrupt ability to learn
"More than half of Springfield students straddle the poverty line, and it's higher - three out of every five - at the elementary level. Teachers like Tate know that home-life worries, left unchecked, can disrupt the students' ability to learn."
Sun-Sentinel, May 13, 2013: Nonprofit builds apartments for low-income seniors in Pembroke Pines
"Eligible seniors pay for the one-bedroom units based on their income. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides subsidies when needed. That means a one-bedroom at the building might go for $400 per month instead of an market value topping $1,000 monthly, developers said."
