Search

Immigration has made public housing populations increasingly diverse, a challenge met by administrators and staff at two housing developments participating in the Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families. Immigrants and refugees from Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Latin America have settled beside native-born Americans. Foreign-born residents' needs extend beyond basic language training and assistance in workforce preparation. They are a diverse group, consisting of urban professionals who need certification, rural villagers barely literate in native languages, and others with physical ailments and psychological traumas. By their variety and prevalence in residents' lives, distinctive issues present major challenges. They may be reluctant to use child care and expose their children to alien cultural practices. Jobs-Plus staff are well-versed in social cues of ethnic groups, including taboos against certain foods, and mixed meetings of men and women. Employment programs clash with cultural priorities in that pressure to direct women into the workforce runs counter to traditional gender roles and encouraging residents to invest financial assets competes with responsibility to remit savings to relatives. Staff leave their offices to reach out to and accompany residents off-site to social service agencies, clinics, and immigration offices. Programs must balance residents' needs and preferences for culturally specific services with goals of preparing them to function in a diverse workplace and building a multicultural community. (YLB)

The Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families, which is a national demonstration project in six cities, is testing ways to increase employment among public housing residents by combining changes in rent rules and other financial work incentives with employment and training services and social supports for work. The incentives being tested at each Jobs-Plus site were examined to identify how they can increase residents' net incomes and influence their decisions about work. The study documented that Jobs-Plus builds upon recent changes in welfare rules and the Earned Income Tax Credit by introducing flat or fixed rent steps, rents based on a lower percentage of income, lowering ceiling rents, rent credits, and escrow accounts. The importance of communicating all available financial supports for work to Jobs-Plus clients was emphasized. Across all housing developments and for a range of family circumstances, the Jobs-Plus rent rules gave residents more incentive to not only accept employment but also to choose full-time over part-time jobs and advance into higher-wage jobs than they had under the traditional rules. Jobs-Plus may have encouraged some residents, particularly second earners in two-parent families, to reduce their work hours. (Contains 36 notes, 25 references, 11 tables, and 10 figures.) (MN)

To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in U.S. cities during 2001, data were collected from 27 cities on demands for emergency food assistance and shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet that demand; causes of hunger and homelessness and demographics of populations experiencing them; exemplary responses; availability of affordable housing for low income people; and the outlook for the future. Requests for emergency food assistance increased 23 percent over the previous year in most cities, and 14 percent of the requests went unmet. Over half of the people requesting food assistance were members of families, and over one-third were employed. Levels of resources available to emergency food assistance facilities increased by 12 percent. Low-paying jobs was the leading cause of hunger. Requests for emergency shelter increased by 13 percent over the previous year, with 37 percent of requests going unmet. Lack of affordable housing was the leading cause of homelessness. Requests for assisted housing by low-income people increased in most cities. Applicants waited an average of 16 months for public housing. Four appendices include charts on hunger and homelessness and on population, poverty, and unemployment; the 2001 questionnaire; and survey cities and mayors. (SM)

Jobs-Plus is an intensive, place-based initiative for increasing employment among public housing residents. Closely aligned with the goals of the 1998 federal Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, Jobs-Plus aims to transform public housing communities by increasing employment among residents. Tests of this new employment approach with diverse populations are underway in these five cities: Baltimore, Chattanooga, Dayton, Los Angeles, and St. Paul. Most of the public housing residents had limited education, employment, and income before Jobs-Plus. The Jobs-Plus approach includes employment-related services and supports, enhanced financial incentives to work, and a community support for work component. Each of the Jobs-Plus sites have made strides in instituting each of the three program components. Now that the initial stages of program implementation have been completed, the sites are working to strengthen case management and better integrate the three program components, as well as to improve coordination between Jobs-Plus and the welfare and workforce development systems. The lessons derived from the Jobs-Plus demonstrations should foster a deeper appreciation of the challenges involved in creating a comprehensive employment initiative targeted at public housing residents and offer guidance on how to achieve high levels of employment. (KC)

The Wheeling Housing Authority in Wheeling, West Virginia, conducted two residential programs to help women living in public housing develop economic self-sufficiency. The Learning Independence from Employment (LIFE) program was an intensive 3-week program designed to accomplish the following objectives: improve participants' communication skills and attitudes; teach participants to set and accomplish goals; motivate participants and encourage them to be self-reliant; educate participants on appropriate responses to constructive criticism; and teach participants effective job search skills. According to a post-program participant survey and researcher observations, the LIFE program appeared to change participants' actual behaviors of but was less likely to change their knowledge regarding motivation or commitment to employment. The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program was designed to ease families' transition from dependence on government assistance to economic independence and self-sufficiency. Its goals were as follows: (1) create awareness of the problems faced by low-income families and mobilize community support/services; (2) coordinate existing public and private resources by integrating them into a personal development program; and (3) mobilize the local business community to provide adequate jobs for program participants. According to a 6-month study, the FSS program yielded mixed results, helping several participants establish some education-related goals and/or access available resources. (MN)

The effectiveness of the Jobs Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families, which seeks to increase employment among people living in public housing, was examined through an in-depth study of the experiences of the interagency and resident Jobs Plus partnerships that were formed in seven cities across the United States in 1997. The study focused on the structures and practices used at each program site to implement the three-pronged Jobs Plus strategy, which is based on the following components: employment-related services; financial work incentives; and community support for work. Overall, the collaboratives had succeeded in implementing a Jobs Plus program, although progress had been slower than hoped. Despite numerous difficulties, the local partners were continuing to work together and the collaboratives were continuing to influence the design and operation of Jobs Plus through various formal and informal channels. Several sites improved interagency service coordination through a variety of institutional adaptations. Eighteen specific recommendations for improving collaboration for Jobs Plus were presented. (A discussion of collaboration in other initiatives for low-income families and a list of Job Plus collaborative partners and funding sources in 1999 are appended. Six program profiles are included. The bibliography lists 121 references.) (MN)

Recent research by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) indicates that while recipients in public housing may be a more difficult-to-employ group in some locales, they may also benefit the most from mainstream welfare-to-work programs. Some policy implications raised by the evidence include the following: (1) the link between employment and housing among welfare recipients is not well understood; (2) in some cities, welfare recipients living in public housing are harder to employ than other recipients, but not everywhere; (3) welfare-to-work programs can be more effective for recipients in public housing than for those in other types of housing; (4) policymakers should look beyond mainstream welfare-to-work programs to help recipients in public housing succeed more in the labor market; and (5) Jobs-Plus, an employment program aimed at urban public housing residents could do more for public housing residents than mainstream programs targeted without respect to housing status. The study concluded that public officials ought to make housing status a key consideration in developing strategies to strengthen mainstream welfare-to-work programs, and that special efforts may be required in order to promote big improvements in the self-sufficiency of welfare recipients in public housing. (KC)

This paper reports findings from a longitudinal study that investigated ways in which a comprehensive youth development program could support social and academic competence and reduce aggression in middle childhood for students living in public housing. Children residing in public housing complexes in southern California who participated in a 4H Afterschool Activities Program were compared with another group of resident children who did not participate in 4H. Measures of perceived academic and social competence were completed by the students, their teachers, and their primary caretakers. The results demonstrated the stronger program effects for perceived behavioral competence than for academic competence. Findings are discussed in terms of the need for explicit programmatic emphasis on the development of academic competence in participants, similar to the current program emphasis on school appropriate behavior. (Contains 7 figures and 27 references.) (JDM)

This paper documents how a group of concerned parents and the New Settlement Apartments (NSA), a unique housing development group in New York City that manages 900 units of low to moderate income housing, used community organizing to try to raise academic achievement in their neighborhood elementary school. It discusses why schools in low-income neighborhoods so often perform poorly, locating as the root cause the lack of political will to ensure that all children receive the quantity and quality of educational resources they need and deserve. This case study of the New Settlement Apartments Parent Action Committee illustrates the opportunities and challenges that result when a community-based organization extends its work of rebuilding a low income neighborhood by organizing the community's political will and capacity to improve its public schools. The group ultimately succeeded in removing the school's principal because they held him responsible for student failure to learn. The paper narrates the development of NSA's Parent Action Committee, the organizing strategies they employed in their efforts to improve the school's outcomes, and the assistance provided by the Community Involvement Program of New York University's Institute for Education and Social Policy. (SM)

This paper exploits a natural experiment created by public housing closings in Chicago to examine the impact of residential relocation on educational outcomes. During the 1990s, the Chicago Housing Authority closed over 7,400 units of public housing as part of redevelopment and consolidation efforts. Households affected by the closures were offered Section 8 vouchers to move to private housing. Using the home addresses provided in school records, this study matched students to public housing developments and tracked educational outcomes over time for children affected and unaffected by closings. Results found that children in families who were offered the opportunity to relocate from high-rise public housing did no better than their peers. Though these children were considerably less likely to be living in high-rise public housing, they had achievement scores and dropout rates identical to comparison students. These findings suggest that high-rise public housing does not have an independent impact on student achievement and that eliminating high-rise public housing will not necessarily lead to benefits documented in earlier housing mobility experiments. Instead, targeted efforts to move families to substantially better neighborhoods may be necessary to obtain results documented in earlier programs. (Contains 37 references.) (SM)

This report describes the Jobs-Plus approach, an attempt to transform low-work, high-welfare public housing developments into high-work, low-welfare communities. It highlights the rationale of the approach, the way the demonstration has been set up to test the approach in the field, and what has been accomplished so far by the seven cities chosen to design and implement Jobs-Plus at the local level. Chapter 1 provides the context by discussing the problem of concentrated joblessness in inner cities and public housing and the growing policy interest in creating a better mix of income groups within public housing by increasing residents' employment. Chapter 2 discusses the three components of Jobs-Plus (employment-related activities and support services, financial incentives to work, and community support for work) and why they were considered important to achieving the program's goals. Chapter 3 describes the characteristics of the housing developments where Jobs-Plus is operating and how and why the cities they are in were selected for the demonstration. Chapters 4-5 discuss the sites' early practices and experiences, first in building the local partnerships that were to design and operate Jobs-Plus and then in crafting the program's three main components to fit local conditions. Interspersed throughout chapter 5 are profiles of each site's emerging Jobs-Plus program. Chapter 5 ends with a note on the next steps in the study. Appendixes summarize the overall research plan for evaluating Jobs-Plus. Contain 47 references. (YLB)

The Robert Taylor Boys and Girls Club of Chicago is located in this country's largest public housing development, serving over 1,500 predominantly African American members. It offers a brightly-colored building in a dilapidated, deprived area. It provides a clean, warm, safe haven for children to play, build strong bodies, get help with homework, and learn to use computers and the Internet. Children have a gymnasium, a stage, physical education activities, social activities, books, arts and crafts, computers, and day care. It is open from 2-6 p.m. for younger children and after 6 p.m. for older children. Three club rules are no hats (to ensure gang neutrality), no smoking, and no sunflower seeds. Though the neighborhood is dilapidated, it offers a magnet school for the brightest children. The club has successfully created a neutral zone among gang territories and is making a difference in the lives of local children. It hosts various activities for the community to bring residents together. A series of interdependent relationships are balanced in order for the club to survive (e.g., children, safe environments, the police force, and the community). A sidebar presents one club member's positive story. (SM)

This paper focuses on how to develop a community-based educational intervention when community apathy is present, or where the isolation between school and community makes partnership more difficult. The key elements for this model are three steps: (1) determining the school-community relationship, establishing that a condition of isolation precludes a school-based model of integrated services; (2) determining community needs and available resources, including educational needs and resources, in a planning matrix; and (3) developing a community organizing strategy that builds on available resources and leverages others. This model was developed in a particular school-community setting, a public housing project in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) in an area of extreme poverty and deprivation. Steps of the model were applied, and strategies have been developed to put a community-based integrated services model into place at the housing project. Two approaches that have been implemented in housing projects are suggested as transferable to the Philadelphia setting. One, Project LOOK, has been implemented in a Seattle (Washington) site where educational facilities have been located in units of the housing project. The other has been developed by Texas A & M University for communities along the Texas-Mexico border. It uses local women to promote and explain the services available. These two program successes suggest that a community school is achieved through combining a community-oriented perspective that sees education as a fundamental component of community development. Two appendixes contain data about one of the schools and examples of linked practices at work in several settings. (Contains 44 references.) (SLD)

The purpose of this study was to develop a description of the Gateway Grants Program, providing data on the activities that states and Gateway Grantees have undertaken in response to the Adult Education Act, as amended. Information was gathered through a survey of state officials administering the Gateway program and local directors of Gateway Grant projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Findings indicate that the Gateway Grants program did target funding to literacy projects serving public-housing residents throughout the United States. Gateway grantees reported average awards of approximately $18,500, and the program delivered adult-education services to over 5,000 individuals. Around two-thirds of grantees served urban communities, though two-thirds of these were in smaller urban areas. The program encouraged states to fund adult-literacy services, and when projects were funded, directors reported success at reaching their target audiences. However, findings also show that most states allocated small portions of the federal funds for Gateway programs, and that state administrators tended to view the program negatively, regarding the funding structure as wasteful, difficult to administer, and largely failing to increase the level of adult-education services for public-housing residents. (RJM)

The Southwest Regional Laboratory conducted a 1-year outcome evaluation of the 4-H After School Activity Program (4-H ASAP) in Los Angeles (California). The 4-H ASAP is designed to meet the needs of children aged 7 to 13 who live in urban public housing communities. The program creates a nurturing environment that offers a positive alternative to unstructured and unsupervised free time in neighborhoods where gang- related activities are prevalent. Four of 10 Los Angeles sites were selected for evaluation. Two provided services in the public housing community and two provided services in the elementary schools. Sixty-two participants from the original target group of 114 completed a self-concept posttest and a participant questionnaire designed for the program. No changes in self-concept were found for program participants, but over 85% of the participants reported that the 4-H program helped keep them out of gangs. Ten percent of these children reported that they had been in a gang prior to joining the 4-H program. Almost all (98%) of the children reported that they had made friends at the 4-H program, and 41% said that they would be hanging out in the streets without it. Interviews with the teachers who taught most of these participants indicated that teachers thought that students were learning problem solving and were increasing their interest in their school work. Sixty telephone interviews with parents indicated that parents also saw improvements in their children's attitudes as a result of 4-H participation. Overall the level of enthusiasm for the program for students, teachers, and parents was high. (Contains one figure, eight tables, and one reference.) (SLD)

This report presents findings and recommendations resulting from the evaluation of programs implemented in 15 cities by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. These programs were implemented to distribute variations on the "Weed and Seed" program and its provision of crime and drug prevention programs. The overall goal of Weed and Seed was to form partnerships between law enforcement and local communities in order to interdict the cycle of drugs, violence, and crime often found in deteriorating areas of major cities, weeding out violent offenders and seeding high-crime neighborhoods with community-based programs. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America began demonstration projects under Weed and Seed in cities in public housing where there had previously not been any similar programs. Fifteen of the 22 new projects were studied in this evaluation. Each of the 15 sites is described, and information is provided about data collection and programming activities. The 15 projects were organized and implemented with commitment and energy. A few types of programs were particularly promising, such as the comprehensive efforts of five programs and the educational enhancement of five others. Recommendations are made for program continuation and improvement, centering on the development of long-term objectives, clarity about project goals, needs assessment, and special emphasis programming. The importance of record keeping and careful program evaluation is stressed. (Contains 13 references.) (SLD)

Nearly 80 means-tested programs for low-income persons and families have been created by the federal government to help meet the needs of various groups. In fiscal year 1992, the federal government spent about $208 billion through these programs. Evaluation of these programs was based on reports by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and others. Most of the cost comes from the largest programs--Aid for Families with Dependent Children, Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Supplementary Security Income, with additional means-tested aid going for housing and energy assistance, aid to veterans, and other means-tested programs. The study found that the means-tested programs can be costly and difficult to administer. They sometimes overlap one another or are so narrowly focused that they create gaps in services that hinder clients. The study also found that technology to run the programs is not being effectively developed and used and that many of these programs are inherently vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse. Finally, the study showed that the system is often difficult for clients to navigate and that, despite many years of experience with these programs, very little is known about how well they are working. (The report contains lists of estimated expenditures for various programs, a list of 29 GAO reports on related topics, and charts and tables showing participation in and expenditures for means-tested programs.) (KC)

This report describes a project to develop instructional materials for the Harrisburg Housing Authority that would enable tenants to understand more clearly the terms of their lease agreements. Project products were designed for tenants, many of whom were students in adult basic education classes, and for housing authority personnel who participate in tenant association meetings. Procedures included the following: identifying problem areas between tenants and the public housing authority related to the understanding of the lease; developing instructional activities and materials that would clarify and explain identified problem areas; field test materials and curriculum; and publish a final curriculum and resource materials. The 13-page report is accompanied by a trainer's handbook for facilitating group activities. The handbook is divided into five sections. Section 1, Facilitator's Notes, provides these materials for each of the 18 sections of the lease that are covered: objective, points to remember, discussion topics, questions, and activity. Section 2, Participant's Reference Sheets, contains handouts on each topic. Section 3, Response Sheet, allows participants to write down answers to questions posed by the group facilitator. Section 4 contains the current lease agreement. Section 5, Pre-Post Activity Assessment, is a 30-question optional assessment. (YLB)

A project operated a model, adaptable family literacy program in a housing authority that served 35 residents. Its objectives were to improve parents' basic skills and help them improve their ability to assist their children, to assist parents in learning appropriate expectations for their children and understanding individual differences, and to encourage enrolled parents to seek out other adult education training opportunities. Workshops were held at the housing project with parents in one room and children in another. Findings indicated the project was beneficial for students, especially in providing a link with other educational and community opportunities. The portfolio assessment aspect of evaluation was ineffective due to the transient nature of the population. The greatest barrier that the project faced was the reluctance of housing members to attend class due to its association with the "authorities." (Appendixes to the 11-page report include a 13-item bibliography, syllabus, lesson plan guide, inservice guide, advertisements, and portfolio with sample forms.) (YLB)

A project was conducted to develop a model to facilitate the expansion of adult education and family literacy classes in coordination with other local community organizations for delivery at rural public housing sites. The target audience was adult educators involved in facilitating family literacy and adult literacy programs for rural housing tenants. During the projects, service provider and client needs were assessed, collaborations were initiated, an instructional model was formulated, an administrative plan was created, and an evaluation was conducted. The instructional model was piloted in public housing in Renovo, Pennsylvania. Topics for the sessions included the following: "brothers and sisters fighting,""reading aloud to your child,""getting your child unstuck," and"creative snack making." The collaborative model did increase the educational services available to rural public housing tenants in a geographically isolated community. Agencies welcomed collaboration and evaluated the model as effective for them. Clients enjoyed the instructional sessions and rated them as helpful. (Three appendixes include brochures and fliers used in the project and project evaluation forms and data.) (KC)

A study was conducted to gain a better understanding of problems facing limited resource families, specifically residents of four public housing communities. A needs assessment was developed and administered by a resident team from the housing communities. Through a systematic sampling technique, 100 households were selected from a target population of 500 households in 4 public housing communities in Cabell County, West Virginia. Sixty-three households responded. They reported that the most important problems affecting residents were as follows: unemployment, underemployment, drug abuse, crime, poverty, and family violence. Residents rated several programs to be most important in improving their quality of life. Four existing programs had the most importance in improving lives in housing communities: educational programs (General Educational Development programs), crime prevention, Wellness for Families, and recreational programs for youth. A recommendation based on these findings was to increase collaboration between educational institutions and social service organizations when planning programs and addressing issues concerning limited resource families. (Appendixes include a list of 11 references and 6 data tables.) (YLB)

This document contains 10 case studies that examine community-based efforts to improve the economies and provide jobs in public and Indian housing communities. The innovative approaches described in the studies indicate the potential of local communities to address their most serious problems. The models have several common threads: creative and determined local leadership, coordination of diverse resources, creation of new opportunities, and development of the skills needed to capitalize on these new possibilities. Case studies describe training programs, employment programs, and business opportunities. The following programs are profiled: (1) onsite job training centers offering a comprehensive array of social services in Los Angeles; (2) a 2-year apprenticeship that teaches residents in Yakima, Washington, skills in the building trades; (3) a self-employment and business management training and revolving loan fund provided by the contractor in Baltimore, Maryland; (4) self-employment and business management training conducted by the housing authority in Bismarck, North Dakota; (5) an employment program for youth coordinated by the resident association in Minneapolis; (6) training in security and self-employment leading to the housing authority contracting with a resident-owned security company in Galveston, Texas; (7) affordable child care to allow parents to work at Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota; (8) resident organizations and private construction companies forming new jointly owned businesses in Los Angeles; (9) a revolving loan program and business training promoting resident entrepreneurship in New Orleans; and (10) a comprehensive effort to assist in developing the local economy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Case studies include information on contacts, mission, description, community resources, program management, results, and lesson learned. (KC)

This final performance report for the Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Public Library literacy project begins with a section that provides quantitative data. The next section compares actual accomplishments to the project goal--to provide county citizens with better access to literacy services--and the following related objectives for 1992-93: (1) 60 parents or caregivers will practice how to read aloud with their children for six weeks at three public housing and Head Start sites; (2) 30 additional students will request reading lessons from the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council (AACLC); (3) nine student support meetings will be held; (4) six tutor in-service meetings will be held; and (5) four literacy tutor training workshops will be held at various sites. Proposed and actual expenditures are compared. Activities undertaken are described, including materials purchased and training sessions. The role of the library is discussed; the contributions of other organizations are summarized; facilities used are listed; and the impact of the project is considered. Attachments include flyers, tips for reading to children, booklist, newsletter, newspaper clipping, AACLC information, and AACLC tutor manual. (MES)

In response to a Senate request, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gathered existing data on educational attainment and achievement of residents in public and Indian housing projects. Data sources included the 1989 American Housing Survey, the 1988 Survey of Income and Program Participation, the 1988 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the 1980 census, and education-related studies of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Public housing residents had a median educational attainment of 11.4 years, compared to 12.7 years for all U.S. renters; failed to complete high school at greater than twice the rate of other renters; and graduated from college at one-sixth the rate of non-public housing residents. Minority public housing residents (Blacks and Hispanics) lagged further behind. Children in federally assisted housing had lower academic achievement on a number of measures than other U.S. youth. Moreover, parental educational attainment was strongly correlated with children's academic performance. No data source directly addressed the educational status of residents in Indian housing projects, but data on the entire Native American population showed that this group also experienced low educational outcomes. Educational attainment was correlated with employment rates and family income. This report briefly describes 10 HUD programs and activities that address the literacy and education needs of public and Indian housing residents. (SV)

This study examined the role of child care in empowering low-income parents. The study, which was part of a larger evaluation of the Committee for Boston Public Housing (CBPH), compared families with children in the Washington-Beech Community Preschool (WBCP), run by CBPH, with families at the Washington-Beech Housing Development whose children did not attend WBCP. WBCP was designed to provide an environment that fosters the social, motor and cognitive development of young children. The CBPH model posits that such programs, established in response to tenant needs and including parent involvement, will foster the empowerment of parents. Thirty-nine families, with children aged 2-5 years, were interviewed. Parents of children in WBCP were compared with those in two control groups: (1) parents whose children were always cared for by a parent; and (2) parents whose children were cared for by a provider other than WBCP or a parent. Items measured were the individual's sense of self-respect, belief in collective action, and ability to use social networks. Results showed that feelings of empowerment significantly increased over the course of the year for individual WBCP parents, while members of the other groups showed essentially no change. (SH)

A collaborative day care and public school kindergarten intervention program for children in several public housing projects in Boston was evaluated by means of the Bronson Social and Task Skill Profile, a classroom observation instrument. This instrument has categories that measure behaviors related to competence in carrying out social interactions and mastery tasks. The intervention group, and comparison children from the same classrooms, were observed four times over a 2-year period--in the fall and spring of their pre-kindergarten and kindergarten years. Comparison children came from the same working class neighborhood as those in the intervention group, but had more economic advantages. Almost none were minority group members. Results demonstrated a progressive catch up effect in most observed behavior categories for the intervention group in relation to the comparison sample. Very poor performance by a few children who were eligible for the intervention but did not receive it further underlined the effectiveness of the intervention. The inclusion of both social and mastery categories in the observation instrument proved useful in providing information on areas of skill and weakness in the samples. (Author/RH)

The One-Room-Drop-In-School (ORDIS) emerged as one of Tennessee's dropout prevention program innovations. A pilot ORDIS was started in Nashville (Tennessee), in a high density housing project where concentrations of poverty and illiteracy usually exist. A five-bedroom apartment in the housing project was set up as a school. A certified teacher, with lengthy experience in both K-12 curricula and adult basic education, was hired along with an aide. Hours were set as 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. ORDIS was made available to everyone, from preschoolers to the oldest residents; to any child who wanted help with homework at any grade level; to anyone who wanted to learn to read or prepare for the General Education Development examination; to anyone who needed English as a Second Language; to those who wanted to be better parents; and to those who just wanted to reacquaint themselves with a place where learning is the principal activity. From its initial opening with 20 children logged in, ORDIS now has a variety of programs offered, including many on weekends, and children of all ages still arrive every afternoon and evening for unscheduled homework help and additional instruction. ORDIS is now an accepted, permanent part of the project environment. (MLF)

This publication offers a portrait of poverty in San Antonio (Texas) based on an analysis of available statistical data and focusing on health, education, employment, housing, and human services. Five chapters each contain statistics regarding poverty in the United States, Texas, and San Antonio. Each chapter also begins with true stories about the poor in San Antonio telling about their lives, and ends with a section on community response. Chapter 1, "Health," covers the uninsured, the health status of San Antonio's poor, teenage pregnancy, accessibility of health care services to the poor, and health and culture. Chapter 2, "Education," describes early education, public education, dropouts in San Antonio, college aspirations, and literacy. Chapter 3, "Employment," considers the working poor, income and wages, employment, unemployment, economic trends, and job training programs. Chapter 4, "Housing," looks at housing conditions, the federal response to housing conditions, local response to housing conditions among San Antonio's poor, public housing developments, and the homeless. Chapter 5, "Human Services," details Aid to Families with Dependent Children, other income-related public assistance programs, personal social services in San Antonio, barriers to recipient utilization of human services, and funding dilemmas. A final section summarizes the challenges facing the city. Twenty-five figures, 21 tables, and 149 references are included. (JB)

This study examines the education and employment outcomes of black youth whose families moved from mostly-black housing projects in the city to either mostly-white suburbs or other mostly-black urban areas through the Gautreaux Housing Assistance Program in the Chicago (Illinois) area. In interviews with families who had moved 8 to 13 years earlier, the study examined: high school retention, grades, high school track placement, college attendance, employment, wages, job prestige, and job benefits. In spite of concerns about permanent disadvantages due to discrimination and competition with white peers, the suburban youth adults did significantly better than did those in the city in practically all areas studied. Compared with the group that moved out of the projects and into other mostly-black city areas, youth in the suburban group were more likely to be: (1) in high school; (2) in a college high school track; (3) in a four-year college; (4) in a job; (5) in a job with benefits; and (6) within the education and employment systems. In their comments, mothers and youth pointed to the positive effects of higher educational standards in the suburbs, additional academic help from suburban teachers, greater access to information about college enrollment from suburban schools, and positive suburban role models. (Author/JB)

"I Have A Dream" is a program that encourages students in low-income communities to complete high school and go on to college. The program guarantees that tuition for higher education will be covered after high school graduation. In addition, it provides participants with tutoring and counseling from elementary school through high school. Each "I Have A Dream" program sponsors either an entire grade level of students at a low-income public elementary school or an entire cohort of same-age children in a public housing development. These students are tracked over time and encouraged to participate in program activities, such as tutoring, mentoring, counseling, community service, and recreational opportunities. A full-time paid staff member coordinates program activities and serves as a mentor to program participants. A group of sponsors commits to working with the students throughout the life of the program and often provides the program with funding and other resources. The sponsors and other local donors ensure that participants who graduate from high school receive post-secondary education tuition assistance. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identified 14 studies of I Have A Dream that were published or released between 1988 and 2008. Seven studies are out of the scope of the review, as defined by the Dropout Prevention protocol; seven studies are within the scope of the review protocol and have an eligible design, but do not meet WWC evidence standards. The lack of studies meeting WWC evidence standards means that, at this time, the WWC is unable to draw any conclusions based on research about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of "I Have A Dream."