Noncognitive constructs such as self-efficacy, social awareness, and academic engagement are widely acknowledged as critical components of human capital, but systematic data collection on such skills in school systems is complicated by conceptual ambiguities, measurement challenges and resource constraints. This study addresses this issue by…

Academic enablers have been defined as attitudes and behaviors that facilitate students' participation in, and benefit from, academic instruction in the classroom (J.C. DiPerna & S.N. Elliott, 2000). The purpose of this article is to provide practitioners with an overview of specific academic enablers (motivation, study skills, engagement, and…

The authors discuss how learning disabled (LD) children's beliefs about themselves may be affected by mainstreaming and how those beliefs may influence their social and achievement related behaviors. Using LD and nonLD elementary and junior high school students, a series of studies examined group differences on a variety of self report and…

Results show teacher ratings and achievement score changes for all groups with the modulation group superior only in teacher ratings of Personal-Social behavior. Usefulness of this form of intervention in meeting the child's needs and in treating the concomitants of school failure are discussed. (Author)

This article describes experiences of 40 children (ages 3-15) with Asperger syndrome. It finds both variability and consistency in the characteristics of this disorder over time and during specific developmental stages. Results indicate that social skills deficits were variable but remained the greatest challenge for these intellectually bright…

Single-case analyses were conducted of the dosage and time-course effects of methylphenidate on disruptive classroom behavior, math and reading performance, and social engagement. In contrast to previous studies, clear individual differences were demonstrated: across children; across academic, behavioral, and social domains of functioning; for…

The variation in the interaction patterns of group members was investigated in this study. Data on the three major variables -- Sociability, Interaction, and Demographic factors were collected by means of the Social-introversion-extraversion scale in Guilford's "An Inventory of Factors STDCR," the Reciprocal Category System, and a brief…

Project STAR (Social Thinking and Reasoning Program) is a classroom-based social skills program for students in grades 5-8. To assess the long-term effectiveness of this program, students participated in the project (N=331) were compared with control students (N=191) during 1980-83. The hypothesis that there are significant differences in current…

The desired choice patterns of friendship, leadership, and classroom workship of children attending a desegregated/integrated elementary urban school were determined. Utilizing quota sampling, 159 children were examined on a three-choice, six-criteria, non-ranked sociometric test. Children were not asked to make rejections. Cliques and…

Seven success patterns and five nonsuccess patterns are identified as prevalent types of undergraduate performance. Students showed significant differences in demographic characteristics, admission credentials, college performance, and post-college plans. Results indicated that colleges should offer many subenvironments, each emphasizing and…

Disruptive behavior patterns are particularly challenging for parents, teachers, and peers as these behaviors often interfere with classroom instruction, frequently lead to academic underachievement, and are associated with social skills acquisition and performance deficits. Children who exhibit a combination of…