These days, it's all about high school—advocates and policymakers, educators and opinion leaders are shining the spotlight on high school, and calling for deep reform to address serious shortcomings such as high drop-out rates. Amid this flurry of attention, the Educational Testing Service set out to find out how the public feels about high schools in its latest public opinion poll.

Nearly one in every three babies is born to an unmarried mother and many single women are adopting children as well. In On Our Own: Unmarried Motherhood in America, journalist Melissa Ludtke explores these trends by looking at the latest expert research and by voicing the very personal reflections of unmarried mothers. Hear the story behind the book in this article by the author.

Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, authors of Meaningful Differences, spent 2 and a half years studying the spoken interactions between parents and children in 42 families. They found that language development in young children was overwhelmingly correlated with socioeconomic status.

So far we have failed in the major measure of the health of a society—how well we take care of our youngest generation. All is not lost. This book demonstrates that the building of certain develo

Marshall Brain's The Teenager's Guide to the Real World provides honest and practical information about the facts of life-from the costs of life to the reality of careers to the commitment of love and marriage.

Reviving Ophelia, by Mary Pipher, Ph.D., is subtitled "Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls." It is a good book for parents of growing daughters, the daughters themselves, and anyone who has ever known young girls.

As a pediatrician specializing in the treatment of family violence, Dr. Eli Newberger studies the character of boys and the ways we—parents, caregivers, communities—can help them develop into emotionally strong and healthy men.

Reviewed by Nancy Irene Boehm

I really liked author Lisa Robert's style of writing. I was able to read the book quickly and comprehend the contents easily. Her writing is light and enjoyable. It kept my interest through the entire book. The stories were great. The one where she is in labor and trying to finish a thesis had me giggling all day.

CFK reports from: The National Press Club
Event: Release of Annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, panel discussion
Organized by: Committee for Economic Development and MetLife
Where/When: Washington, D.C., June 14, 2005

New teachers feel at a loss when it comes to establishing productive relationships with parents, yet believe this is one of the most important challenges they need to address, according to this new survey.