ERIC Number: ED362599
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1993-Aug
Pages: 128
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Self-Esteem and Achievement: Case Study of Success with Elementary At-Risk Students.
Glanz, Niki L.
This study explores the relationship of a self-esteem program to achievement of minority at-risk students. The researcher identified a high-performing urban elementary school (Monte Sano Elementary School) with a primarily low-income, single-parent, black student body. A qualitative research approach was used to collect data, and extensive observations of all aspects of the school's operation and interviews with all levels of school staff were conducted (approximately 75 hours of observation). Data then were analyzed for patterns that would describe the school's self-esteem program. The following five general headings, each comprising many subcategories, were found: (1) direct teaching; (2) discipline; (3) high academic expectations; (4) the personal touch; and (5) teaching values. Each category simultaneously promoted both students' self-esteem and academic achievement, suggesting that the two are closely interrelated in a successful elementary school setting for at-risk students. The significance of this finding in light of the on-going debate among educators and school critics between self-esteem and high academic standards is discussed. The study also offers a theoretical explanation for the findings--the significance of an effective principal who orchestrated and modeled the school's self-esteem/academic achievement program. Finally, the study provides possible applications and recommendations based on the findings. (Contains 68 references.) (Author/SLD)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Black Students, Case Studies, Curriculum Evaluation, Elementary Education, Elementary School Students, High Achievement, High Risk Students, Instructional Leadership, Low Income Groups, Minority Group Children, One Parent Family, Qualitative Research, Self Esteem, Teaching Methods, Urban Schools
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Georgia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A