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"'Kids raised in a setting of poverty don't know as many words coming in, don't have the same resources in terms of books at home, and any parent is commonly working two jobs or three jobs,' he said."

"But tens of thousands of Illinois students remain shut out of Advanced Placement classes... because of a dearth of courses elsewhere in the state coupled with disparities in the Chicago region, where AP classes range from plentiful to meager, a Tribune analysis found."

"About 4,000 low-income elderly and disabled New Mexicans will see their food stamp benefits drop in July due to state budget cuts."

"But even small cuts and concern for future ones may force nursing homes to take fewer Medicaid residents or stop accepting them altogether. The result could mean low-income people have a harder time finding a place to live."

"U.S. Department of Education figures show students who attend for-profit colleges default at a higher rate than students from other sectors... For-profit officials say that reflects the demographics they serve, mostly low-income students who receive no financial help..."

"For students to enter the program, they must be in grades 7, 8 or 9, maintain a B or C average, be on the free-and-reduced-lunch program at school, and live at or below the federal poverty level, Picado said. Mentors have to qualify, too, she said"

"'The ones who are really interested in reading, they seem to have better behavior throughout the classroom,' said Jackson who teaches at a local Head Start, which serves low-income families."

"Students would be picked by lottery, with preference given to low-income students and, eventually, to those with siblings already attending the schools. In the first year, proposed for fall 2012, there would be an elementary school serving 176 kindergarten and first-grade students."

"The Republican-majority school board that took office in December 2009 eliminated the use of socioeconomic diversity from the student assignment policy after some parents complained about... poor performance of low-income students."

"The goal of More at Four is to ensure that at-risk children, many from low-income families or with special educational needs, enter kindergarten with the academic and social skills necessary for success."

"They also set aside time for one-on-one conferences, provide individual feedback regarding students' growth and areas for improvement These classrooms tend to inspire student motivation and benefit all pupils, especially low-income students."

"Payne cautioned, however, against shirking local responsibility to lift graduation rates by blaming history or dismissing the problem as a national one. And, like other educators who weighed in on the topic, Payne said poverty, not race, is the biggest contributor to a high dropout rate."