Previous "selective" meta-analyses of the literature relating to the IQ-achievement discrepancy model of specific learning disability identification have concluded that "underachieving" and "low-achieving" poor readers do not differ in any educationally meaningful way. Underachievers are those poor readers who qualify as learning disabled using an…

This study explores the perspectives of four high school students focusing on the identification of caring teacher qualities and the influence those characteristics have on school participation and attendance. Data was collected using interviews rather than survey in order to hear the often-unheard voices of students. Portraits of each student…

Human capital theory suggests that the opportunity cost is lower during an economic recession which in turn encourages a person to enroll in a postsecondary educational institution. At the same time, the ability to pay the direct costs of education is reduced. The two effects work in an opposite direction. Using unemployment rates as a business…

This study chronicles the home and school technology practices of a group of 7th grade middle school students representing varying social and economic backgrounds for the purpose of exploring possible ways in which exposure to computer technology in the home helps to inform the ways in which children demonstrate technology literacy when using…

This study examined the features of the classroom discourse in eight Algebra I classes from two urban high schools with diverse student populations. In particular, by using the discursive analysis perspective, the type of communication between teachers and students was examined. The study investigated to what extent teachers' patterns of discourse…

This current study investigated Janis and Mann's (1977) Conflict Model of Decision Making. Specifically, Janis and Mann's model was tested to examine decision-making styles (coping patterns) and students who either have already decided or who have yet to decide on their college major. Furthermore, the current study is aimed to expand Janis and…

The history of American schooling is replete with the interplay between politics, economics and social behavior. This has never been more evident than in the current environment of high stakes testing on core subjects that largely ignores other important noncognitive outcomes of education. Within this context, the present study built on previous…

Parents and school administrators are both stakeholders in the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) process. While the inclusion of parents in the process as full members is mandated by IDEA 2004 there remains a growing problem of conflict within this process. Research has reviewed the process of conflict during the IEP meeting and other…

This is an ethnographic study of a self-regulated Internet site that facilitates illegal female prostitution in South Florida. The purpose is to identify the social and economic characteristics of the site that can contribute to acceptable prostitution reform. The members of the site appear to sustain an orderly and mutually respectful exchange of…

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify specific support services that helped African American male students in California Community Colleges to successfully complete developmental math and/or English courses. Methodology. Data were collected from 123 African American men who were enrolled in one of three Los Angeles area community…

Traditional parent-teacher conferences and student-led conferences are tools schools employ to convey student progress with parents. The student-led conference offers a valuable means for increasing student responsibility which allows students to take ownership in schooling, which in turn helped improve parent involvement and student motivation.…

The purpose of this online study was to create a ranking of essential core competencies and technologies required by AET (audio engineering technology) programs 10 years in the future. The study was designed to facilitate curriculum development and improvement in the rapidly expanding number of small to medium sized audio engineering technology…

American adolescents have experienced growth in their use of online communities; yet, it was unknown whether the current understanding of online-community design applied to the design of communities specific to adolescents. This study bridged this gap, examining (a) How adolescents interact in an online community designed in accordance with…

This exploratory study was designed to develop a baseline model of expertise in dental education utilizing the Dreyfus and Dreyfus continuum of skill acquisition. The goal was the development of a baseline model of expertise, which will contribute to the body of knowledge about dental faculty skill acquisition and may enable dental schools to…

Recent attention to low student achievement in mathematics has brought attention at the national, state, and local level to the shortage of "Highly Qualified" mathematics teachers. However, current policy and practice fall short of ensuring that the most qualified--as in effective--mathematics teachers support the learning of the students with the…