In 1926, 83 percent of the American Indian school-age
population was enrolled in one of these boarding schools (see Adams, 1995). More recently,
boarding schools have received renewed interest from policymakers seeking ways to enhance
the academic progress of disadvantaged students. Two examples are the SEED boarding
schools in the United States which serve poor black students, and the “boarding schools of
excellence” in France which serve relatively high-ability students from poor families. In both
cases, policy makers opened these schools because they were concerned that the poor studying
conditions and negative influences students are exposed to in their home environment could
impair their academic potential.