The current study investigated child behavioral change during the early years of elementary school. Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992) teacher ratings of child behavior were collected over a three-year period. The sample consisted of 162 children measured yearly between first and third grade. Information…

Research on historical cognition has capitalized on developing the thought processes of expert historians in students. Biofunctional theory points to several limitations to this approach: (a) developing from novice to expert is probably not a direct process; (b) developing expertise requires more time than the historical thinking approach…

The newly developed Assessment of School Counselor Needs for Professional Development (ASNPD; Dahir & Stone, 2003a, 2003b) survey measures school counselors' readiness to deliver comprehensive school counseling programs (ASCA National Model[R]; American School Counselor Association, 2005) and appraises school counselors' beliefs, priorities, and…

The No Child Left Behind Act and the accountability movement in public education caused many states to develop criterion-referenced academic achievement tests. Scores from these tests are often used to make high stakes decisions. Even so, these tests typically do not receive independent psychometric scrutiny. We evaluated the 2005 Arkansas…

Narrowing the achievement gap will be contingent on preparing high-quality teachers. Results from empirical investigations of novice mathematics and science teachers' indicated that (a) mathematics teachers did not feel prepared to teach in high-poverty school districts; (b) positive mentoring experiences alone were not as important as we would…

This paper describes the process and results of teacher-research conducted at Parkside Middle School, a Professional Development School in an Appalachian state. Working together as a team, teachers and a university faculty liaison examined students' perceptions regarding academic and social climate issues. A questionnaire containing Likert-type…

Biofunctional cognitive theory describes learning as a dynamic cycle of reflection between the brain, which coordinates contributions from multiple biological sources, and the mind, which selects and organizes them into wholethemes. The children in the lead author's third-grade class participated in a study of how the theory supported learning in…

To prevent summer achievement loss and help ensure Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for all students as mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), school districts are enacting summer enrichment programs. To determine effectiveness, additional student assessments are often required and instructional time is reduced. The goals of this study were to…

Narrative is used to describe and understand how people construct meaning of their lives and experiences and how they think about their own and others' identities. We examined narrative as both data source and method of analysis for investigating learning in non-traditional school settings with students from diverse socio-economic status and…

Seductive details are interesting, but sometimes irrelevant to the target material present in texts and lectures. In the current study, 388 undergraduate students read six paragraphs describing Sigmund Freud's psychosexual stages (i.e., target material). Participants in four groups also read one of two biographical paragraphs. The biographical…

"Research in the Schools" publishes empirical studies focusing on the results of applied educational research, scholarly reviews of research, descriptions of technology applications and innovative teaching strategies, and other topics of interest to educational researchers. Issue number 1 contains these articles: (1) "Factors Associated with…

Investigated reading achievement and attitudes as a function of grade, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status for 1,968 students in grades K-5 in Georgia. Findings show a small but significant relationship between reading achievement and attitudes toward reading. Ethnic differences were found with respect to reading achievement. (SLD)

Studied the relationship between decision-making and communication practices of site-based teams and the perceived outcomes of site-based management through surveys completed by 133 participants in site-based management. Results show that measures relating to decision making and communications practices have a strong impact on stakeholder…

Evaluated the cognitive, psychological, and social adjustment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients and assessed how their needs could best be met through reintegration programs focusing on learning/ educational needs. Findings from three case studies highlight the need for ALL patients to be provided with comprehensive programs…

Used data from a state report card to determine which variables characterize bivariate and multivariate relationships between school quality indicator variables and academic status in high and low socioeconomic status schools and high and low achievement schools. Data from 1,319 schools provide information that may help meet the needs of at-risk…