As a nation we need to identify a set of practical tools to help schools meet the needs of diverse learners. Schools must improve learning for all students, including children living in poverty, students learning English for the first time, students with special needs, students that are mobile, and students with diverse backgrounds. It is critical…

Prior research has suggested private school education in middle school and high school as a solution for the Black-White achievement gap. However, more recent research calls this solution into question. Additionally, research increasingly implicates third grade as being of preeminent importance in driving students' subsequent academic achievement.…

Cultural dynamics in school may contribute to disaffiliation and inhibited academic performance among diverse student populations (Marx, 2008). We queried 16 special education students in a low-income, ethnically diverse English Language Learner-cluster middle school about their perceptions of the cultural dynamics at their school and the…

This article examines the effects that high mobility can have on highly mobile students, non-mobile students, teachers, and schools, with particular focus on the effect of high mobility on academic achievement. A mixed-methods study with data collected from public schools in Nebraska during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years finds that…

Using official school data, this study examined a sample of 447 at-risk students enrolled over a 10-year period in a youth-based mentoring program. The primary objective of the program was to ensure high school graduation. Participants were identified by indices of academic and school behaviors that rendered them less likely to graduate from high…

Youth involved in residential care programs present with significant difficulties across behavioral and mental health domains. Although this is a group that is also at considerable risk for academic failure, very little research has been done to understand the academic functioning of this population. The current study sought to expand what is…

Racial identity attitudes, a construct proposed as a measure of the world view of Blacks (Cross & Vandiver, 2001), and academic performance of a group of Black females attending a high-poverty, failing high school with a 42% graduation rate were examined. These young women were either pregnant or parenting and attended a parenting support group at…

A growing body of research suggests that children with language disorders are at risk for social adjustment problems and school failure. This paper provides further evidence regarding this situation, assessing the strength of the relationship between receptive language and social adjustment in a sample of the general population of public school…

This study compared the reading achievement levels of 323 third grade students from a Caribbean school district receiving instruction from three different programs. Students were identified as at risk with a 95% minority enrollment, 100% free lunch and transportation, and the lowest NAEP test scores in the nation. Total standardized test scores…

This pilot study investigated the effects of allowing sixth-grade students in a rural south Georgia school to use stress balls during direct instruction and independent practice. Data from learning style inventories, surveys, journals, teacher observations, and formal assessments were collected for 29 sixth-grade students in a language arts class.…

There are numerous factors associated with not finishing high school. The purpose of this student was to shed new light on one of them, grade retention, as seen through the eyes of retained dropouts themselves. Respondents describe three interrelated phenomena that characterized their trajectory from being retained-in-grade to subsequent premature…

Followed 9th grade teachers and their students as they began a teaming initiative to address urban educational challenges. Results showed that teaming meant the development of an ethos of collaboration manifested in everyday interactions among team members. This enhanced teachers' ability to transform their world of work, though their…

Presents findings from a longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of the Michigan School Readiness Program, which targeted four-year-olds at risk for school failure. Compared to nonparticipants of similar age and socioeconomic background, 24 percent more participants passed the grade 4 state literacy test, 16 percent more passed the…

Investigated the impact of an after-school tutorial program on the academic achievement of high-risk, predominantly minority high school students. Data on the students' grades indicated that on average, the majority of students received passing grades. A main effect for discipline was found, with achievement levels for English significantly higher…

Investigated the perceptions of school personnel regarding migrant students' educational experiences. Interviews with principals, teachers, and migrant advocates from high-migrant areas indicated that factors affecting migrant students' school performance included social prejudice, lack of communication between students and schools, mobility, lack…