A sample of 91 White and 22 minority parent volunteers whose children attended an urban elementary school were administered a revised version of the Dean Alienation Scale. Results indicated that minority parents were more alienated from school than were White parents. (FMW)

Reviews the events that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and identifies ways that the Act changed the responsibilities of educational administrators. Gives three examples of the policy and practice implications of the Act. (FMW)

Examines connections between the racial consciousness of Black school superintendents and their sense of professionalism through a survey of 62 Black school superintendents, including 9 large urban districts. Concludes that most identify strongly with Black power and the need to preserve Black cultural differences. (FMW)

Utilizes statistical data on reading achievement from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to compare the performance of minority and nonminority students in suburban elementary schools. Suggests ways to improve the low minority student achievement. (FMW)

Traces the evolution of the curriculum designed for Black education in South Africa since the colonial penetration of the 1650s to the present. Argues that the curriculum reflects sociopolitical influences and that postapartheid curriculum reform is limited by extracurricular factors. (FMW)

Utilizes a sample of 386 Black college students to examine academic persistence among undergraduate and graduate students. Finds that the two groups were similar in terms of precollege experiences and characteristics but differed in experiences while in college. (FMW)

Surveys the historical development of literature written for African American children from the late nineteenth century to the present. Discusses trends in African American children's literature and assesses that literature's value in literacy education. Examines the selective tradition in children's literature and the depiction of African…

Addresses the relationship between reader response and culture. Presents portraits of a teacher and her Black students and White students as they studied a series of African American literary texts, including Virginia Hamilton's "House of Dies Drear" (1968). The reading of this text marked a turning point for the teacher and students. (AF)

Characteristics of schools that have succeeded in becoming unusually effective for all students include the following: (1) insistence that all participants take responsibility for improvement; (2) persistence in seeking to attain high standards; (3) resiliency in moving forward despite obstacles and discouragements; and (4) consistency in…

Demonstrates that the educational needs of Black mothers of preadolescent children can be determined by using an instrument that takes into account the way both generations feel about their relationship. The Parental Strengths and Needs Inventory proved a worthwhile tool for making decisions about curriculum content appropriate for mothers. (AF)

Advances the following premises: (1) the thinking skills of low achievers should be cultivated as much as those of high achievers; (2) low achievers can be taught higher order thinking skills; and (3) the cultivation of effective thinking skills is at least as important as mastery of basics. Presents five recommendations for change. (AF)

Contends that educational policy in Zimbabwe from 1934 to 1954 served the political purposes of the colonial government and neglected genuine educational development of the colonized Africans. During George Stark's tenure as Director of Native Education, Zimbabweans were consigned to "practical training" programs and were denied access to academic…

Examines the effects of educational philanthropy in the career of Horace Mann Bond, Black educational scholar and college administrator. Finds that in Bond's dealings with the General Education Board (GEB) and the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the benefactor-beneficiary relationship simultaneously supported him and effectively halted his scholarly…

The two most important Black children's magazines of the twentieth century, published in the 1920s and the 1970s, met with untimely ends, and the entire body of Black children's literature may be diminishing. This lack hampers Black children's adaptation to White society and thwarts White children's comprehension of Black experience. (AF)

Examines the relationship between the underrepresentation of Black students in gifted education and particular school-related and socioeconomic-status-related variables. Suggests that the recruitment of additional Black teachers and investigation of alternatives to present placement practices can achieve proportional Black student representation…