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"Compared to people in other age groups, more individuals under age 3 live in poverty and are more likely to experience developmental problems. Early childhood education helps to mitigate the disparities caused by poverty. Programs like Early Head Start, which serves pregnant women and children from birth to three years, offer services through individualized plans to children and their families."

"Just 9 percent of students from the poorest families complete a degree -- meaning less than a third who ever enroll make it to commencement. By comparison, 54 percent of the most wealthy students earn a diploma, meaning they have about a two-thirds success rate."

"The Texas Education Agency estimates that for next fiscal year, up to $51 million in federal money could be slashed from special-education programs and $65.4 million from Title I, a federal initiative that aids low-income students, along with cuts to teacher professional development, career-technical programs and English language acquisition classes."

"In a study published last year in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, researchers from Stanford, Harvard, the University of Toronto and the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at the college-enrollment decisions of 26,000 families in Ohio and North Carolina. The families all had incomes under $45,000. When some of those students and parents were asked to guess what annual tuition was at a local two-year public college ($3,099 at the time), they overestimated by an average of 300 percent."

"In a release Wednesday, the Illinois State Board of Education says the spike in low-income students and those with limited English has led to increased costs for school districts."

"A proposal to offer tax breaks for donating to a scholarship fund that would allow low-income Arkansas students to attend private schools failed before a state Senate panel Wednesday, after state education and finance officials raised concerns about the impact the move would have on the budget."

"Innovative math and science lessons have paid off with $175,000 Burroughs Wellcome grants for three area teachers ��� two in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and one in Gaston County. All three plan to use their grants to help students in high-poverty schools succeed in subjects that can lead to lucrative careers [...] The Burroughs Wellcome Fund ��� a private foundation headquartered in Research Triangle Park that promotes biomedical science ��� has decided it�s essential to start early. The fund launched its 'career awards' for North Carolina K-12 science and math teachers in 2009. 'We�re trying to change the culture of teaching in North Carolina,' fund official Carr Thompson said Monday."

"Academic challenges are often deep-seeded and begin in primary and secondary school, which when left unaddressed, often leads to remediation at the postsecondary level. There are several factors that contribute to low-income students entering college with poor math and reading skills."

"Roca, who also runs the Penn Program for Mindfulness at the University of Pennsylvania, was among four panelists who spoke about understanding stress in children who suffer trauma or live in poverty. They covered the effects on brain development and stimulation, and discussed the importance of nurturing infants, intervening at the preschool level, and teaching social skills."

"Washington's College Bound Scholarship Program appears to be helping more students finish high school, according to new data from the Education Research & Data Center. The center reports that more than 78 percent of low-income students enrolled in the scholarship program graduated on time in 2012."

"But as certificates grow in number and importance, many educators are calling attention to what they see as an overlooked problem in the nation's efforts to upgrade workers' skills and deal with soaring higher-education costs: Federal financial aid goes overwhelmingly to students in traditional degree programs, while little goes to the many students in noncredit certificate programs who may need it more."

"Social Security prevents many older Ohioans of color from falling deep into poverty. The importance of the program to minorities should not be overlooked during discussions on whether or how to reform the system, experts said. We know that savings and 401(k) balances are inadequate, and that is why Social Security matters, no matter if you are white, black or Latino,' said Kimberly Blanton, author of the Squared Away Blog at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. But it is even more important for low-income people, which often means minorities.'"