Describes rationale and model for changing assessment efforts in schools from simple description to integration of information from multiple sources for purpose of designing interventions. Sees analyzing instructional environments for individual students as prerequisite for effective consultation and intervention planning. Suggests school…

Discusses six traditional instructional assumptions and practices that impede the creation of a caring classroom environment: blaming the students, keeping control of the classroom, missing the systemic factors, ignoring problems with the curriculum, settling for self-discipline, and manipulating with "positive reinforcement." (Contains…

Asserts that knowing how children develop is essential to understanding their behavior. Describes role of schools and school boards in addressing student behavior problems related to child development. (PKP)

Review of 20 studies comparing relative efficacy of individual and group contingencies found the former to be generally superior when academic performance was the targeted behavior. In contrast, no consistent differential effect was found when students' social response was the targeted behavior, yet increased verbal threats were reported during…

This study used ethnographic methods to examine current explanations of Asian American students' success in school and how a group of high-achieving Chinese American high school freshmen perceive themselves and others as learners and as group members. The study attempts to illustrate (1) how the students view educational achievement and group…

The APMI (Assessment, Placement, and Monitoring Index) is a non-categorical placement procedure designed to facilitate objective assessment, placement, and monitoring of exceptional children (ages 4 and up). The purpose of the APMI is to offer an "alternative" model for determining "severity" that (1) describes the needs of the…

This publication reviews literature and presents findings concerning programs at the secondary school level that are designed to serve English language learners (ELLs). These are students who come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken and whose English language skills are assessed as needing improvement. The report organizes…

Discusses studies showing that, contrary to the view overwhelmingly supported by research of over a decade and a half, some urban schools, through principal leadership, high teacher expectations, and rigorous academic programs, are able to raise the achievement of low-income students. (CMG)

This report and a motivation seminar were prepared for teachers in the Social Sciences Department at Champlain Regional College (Quebec) to study motivational dispositions of students who either avoided registering for a course in Quantitative Methods or failed out in important numbers. Teachers' consensus was that students in general seemed to…

This report reviews the research literature on the effects of divorce and one-parent childrearing on academic achievement and intellectual functioning in children. Life changes following the decision to separate are described along with scholastic achievement measured by IQ and aptitude tests and patterns of cognitive performance. Factors…