Susie Kay was a teacher at a mostly African-American high school in Washington when she launched Hoop Dreams in 1996.

VOA: special.2009.01.28

A hoop house is basically a metal frame covered with plastic or other all-weather material.

VOA: special.2009.12.22

The results showed that well-managed hoop houses can grow high-quality crops.

VOA: special.2009.12.22

The accounting firms are cock-a-hoop at Mr Pitt's appointment: they hope that the unsatisfactory compromise reached with Mr Levitt will now come undone to their benefit, if not to that of investors.

ECONOMIST: Face value

A-levels, these have focused more on hoop-jumping and box-ticking than on actual education.

ECONOMIST: Moves away from A-levels and GCSEs

The risk is that, unless their strictures lead to action, the monitors' job will seem pointless and go the way of the crossing-sweeper, typewriter designer and hula-hoop maker.

ECONOMIST: Monitored polls, ignored reports