August 31, 1997

Even though New York City is pushing thousands of anxious welfare mothers into job market for first time in years, sending them to job readiness programs or job clubs, vast majority are failing to find work; problem reflects challenges confronting states as they struggle to move welfare recipients with little education and little work experience into jobs, year after passage of landmark welfare reform law; photos (M)

Article on major changes in political structure of New York City public school system over the past two months as result of new state law and strengthening of power of community school board superintendents; focuses on work of Brooklyn's new District 15 superintendent Frank DeStefano; photos; charts (L)

Reduction in water level of Hempstead Lake (NY) results in decrease in fish populations and greater competition for food in lower volume of water results in smaller fish; photos; map (M)

It is Kickoff '97. Watch those kickoff returns. Those punt returns, too. The return game takes center stage in the National Football League's 78th season. If your team has a swanky return man, it is a step up on the competition. The return game is a weapon that provides field position, momentum and victories.

As vacations end and 52 million students return to school, their elders find themselves in a historic tug of war pitting the traditional local control of education against a growing national presence that is making Washington a bigger player in education now than at perhaps any other time in the nation's history. When Congress convenes in September, President Clinton will try to win support for the first truly national performance tests in the schools, and Republicans in Congress will mobilize to kill the initiative.