America's schoolchildren: Past, present, and future

To provide a context for the articles in this journal issue, which focus on programs for children in elementary and middle school, this article depict s the cohort of children who were between 5 and 14 years old in the 1990s a nd compares them with their counterparts earlier in the century. It reports their numbers, overall and by racial and ethnic heritage; the makeup, empl oyment, and economic status of their parents; and the time they spend in sc hool. The article examines changes in these demographics and characteristic s of school-age children with an eye to the effect that these trends may ha ve on public attitudes toward children and youths, and on support for gover nment funding to keep young people safe and to promote their development.