This volume presents the most recent research on Title I federal compensatory education programs. Over the past three decades, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has served as the cornerstone of the federal commitment to equality of opportunity. It is the federal government's single largest investment in America's schools. As Title I begins a new century, this book documents the program's history and points to the potential for its future, building on 35 years of research, development, and practical experience. The research and analysis it provides fills a void for systematic information that can help inform Title I education policies and practices. Title I: Compensatory Education at the Crossroads is essential reading for educational researchers and students working in the areas of social stratification and equity-minded policies, programs, and practices. It will serve well as a text for graduate courses on these topics in education, as well as in public policy, sociology, and psychology. Educational policymakers and administrators at the federal, state, and local levels who are concerned with Title I and programs for students placed at risk will find it an important resource in crafting policies and programs for this population of students.

Contents: Preface. J.F. Jennings, Title I: Its Legislative History and Its Promise. G.D. Borman, J.V. D'Agostino, Title I and Student Achievement: A Quantitative Synthesis. E.L. McDill, G. Natriello, History and Promise of Assessment and Accountability in Title I. G.D. Borman, K.K. Wong, L.V. Hedges, J.V. D'Agostino, Coordinating Categorical and Regular Programs: Effects on Title I Students' Educational Opportunities and Outcomes. J.V. D'Agostino, L.V. Hedges, K.K. Wong, G.D. Borman, Title I Parent-Involvement Programs: Effects on Parenting Practices and Student Achievement. H.C. Waxman, Y.N. Padrón, K.M. Arnold, Effective Instructional Practices for Students Placed at Risk of Academic Failure. B. Rutherford, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity and Title I: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go? K.K. Wong, S.J. Meyer, Title I Schoolwide Programs as an Alternative to Categorical Practices: An Organizational Analysis of Surveys From the Prospects Study. R.E. Slavin, How Title I Can Become the Engine of Reform in America's Schools.