This study questioned a previously observed relationship between seventh grade academic failure and later dropout behavior using five mediating variables. Researchers estimated a causal model with data from individuals tested in seventh through ninth grades and as young adults. Certain mediating factors (e.g., low motivation and perception of peer…

Fourth and fifth graders participated in a study comparing the effects of traditional and modified collaboration models on participation and productivity outcomes. Students in traditional, modified, and control groups completed cooperative projects. Unlike the other groups, control group students had no assigned task roles. The modified and…

This study tested the influence of writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, perceived usefulness of writing, and writing aptitude on 218 fifth graders' essay-writing performance. Students' beliefs about their abilities directly influenced apprehension, perceived usefulness, and performance, and partially mediated the effects of gender and…

This study investigated the effects of a self-questioning intervention for Israeli kindergartners. Researchers used theory-based interventions (active processing and metacognitive intervention) and traditional methods to facilitate questioning, story comprehension, and self-directed learning. Theory-based training proved to be the most…

This study investigated differences in performance when sixth graders were presented with fractions in three contexts (understanding the meaning of fractions, computation with fractions, and solving word problems with fractions). Student performance varied significantly in different contexts, with the lowest performance observed on the…

Provides a historical, philosophical, and theoretical analysis of affirmative action in higher education. Also evaluates the success of affirmative action and considers alternatives. Although affirmative action has not created great improvements, it has been consistent with assumptions about the meaning of academic community. (SLD)

This review examines employment and postsecondary education outcomes for youth with disabilities leaving secondary schools, as well as studies of educational practices reporting high-quality outcomes. Practices that appear to improve outcomes for these students are supervised work experiences and functionally oriented curricula that connect…

This review considers studies of large-scale systemic reform initiatives aimed at mathematics and science education, especially those undertaken by state governments and the National Science Foundation. The implementation and effects of reforms can be understood in theoretical terms applied to the study of innovation and change. (SLD)

Explores the debate between positivist and postmodern points of view in science education. Historical and philosophical interpretations of the issues lead to the conclusion that science teacher education should look for neutral ground, stressing the best of various positions and emphasizing creativity in science. (SLD)

This study presents a longitudinal and intertextual analysis of educational policymaking activity in California over a 10-year period to identify factors that supported local policy implementation in a shifting political climate. Analysis reveals the essential nature of coherence, capacity building, and changed practices in building an alternative…

Results from a comparison of single-sex and coeducational Catholic secondary schools using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 suggest that single-sex Catholic high schools are not especially favorable academic settings, and that any advantages of the schools only benefited boys. Pre-enrollment differences may explain…

A national sample of 820 academically talented children took the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Cluster analyses of scores found a three-cluster solution. Further analyses indicated that these clusters were: nonperfectionistic (32.%), healthy perfectionistic (41.7%), and dysfunctional perfectionistic (25.5%). The construct of perfectionism…

Presents a longitudinal analysis of school performance declines among neglected and abused children, using the maltreatment and school histories of 1,369 children in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Significant relationships between maltreatment and declines in performance were found in diverse school outcomes. (SLD)

Research conducted over the past 25 years on the relationship between the funding of education and student achievement is analyzed and synthesized. Once a base level of funding has been provided, judicious spending should be evidenced in improved student achievement, up to an optimum point. Implications for educational spending are discussed. (SLD)

Undergraduate students were asked to rank the oral communication skills identified by S. Wilmington (1992) as necessary for teachers. Responses from 296 students emphasized the importance of message and listening aspects over physical aspects. Findings are compared with those of the administrators in the Wilmington study. (SLD)