This term refers to students who meet the requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education and identified as living in poverty. According to the U.S. Department of Education 58% of all public schools receive special funding (Title I) because of the high incidence of poverty. The government has established guidelines for determining students who qualify as living in poverty. Children identified as EDS receive free or reduced lunch along with academic programs that assist in improving academic achievement. Since a high number of schools fall in this category they receive special funding to improve instruction and meet the needs of these students. Because this group of students often scores below other groups, NCLB law has addressed the needs of this subgroup. In this site you will find articles that address the needs of these students and the research on this group.