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"They could have made excuses and dropped out of school like thousands of other teens facing adversity. Yet they succeeded, even excelled, despite the odds against them. Poverty. Cultural differences. Stubbornness. The death of a mother."

"But a quality summer learning program can play a role in closing the gap between low-income students and their middle-class peers, according to a new study released today by the RAND Corp."

"The Pittsburgh program, called Summer Dreamers Academy, will tutor more than 5,000 students in math, reading and social skills for five weeks... It also will offer the kind of enrichment activities such as kayaking, judo and dance that many low-income children miss..."

"Females held the majority of degrees in lower-paying fields, but disparities in earnings based on race and gender were evident in nearly every major. Women with chemical-engineering degrees... still earned an average of $20,000 less than men with the same degree."

"It has been an amazing experience and really, really eye-opening. Sheila is really actually making a change by starting with a few families. It doesn't matter if they are born into poverty -- kids are kids."

"The Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act would allow low-income children in Hamilton County the same opportunity that higher-income children already have to choose a quality school."

"Given their demographics - 95 percent black and Latino, 85 percent living in poverty - these young people had an expected college graduation rate below 10 percent. Their graduation rate, however, was 33 percent, about four times their expected rate..."

"Austin's full-day prekindergarten program - now offered for free to those learning English, those from low-income families... - costs $18 million annually, with the state contributing $9 million for a half-day and state-funded grants... covering another $4.6 million."

"The New York City-based nonprofit organization recruits recent college graduates from all academic majors... They must commit to teaching at least two years in schools in low-income areas, especially those where school districts have difficulty attracting applicants."

"Whatever Council contributes would restore some of the cut funding. The district presented a priority list of restorations, with one - full-day kindergarten - already taken care of by Title I funds, reserved for schools that educate low-income children."

"One of the quickest routes to poverty, prison and government dependence is to drop out of high school. It's a proven fact that high-school and college graduates live longer and better lives and are less likely to be imprisoned or need government assistance."

"Smith said at a meeting of the district's audit committee... that she was authorized to review the names and of students and parents in the lunch program and information that is intended to ensure that low-income students aren't denied lunch at school."