Background: The dropout rate of Chinese elementary school students after 2007 rose again. Little research to date has identified individual differences in pathways of academic engagement to discern those at risk of disengagement and dropout from schools, as well as the longitudinal linkages between cognitive beliefs with academic engagement. Aims:…

At a conference where he received the Circle of Courage Award, psychologist Christopher Peterson (Peterson & Brendtro, 2008) noted that there is something about the architecture of the human mind that causes it to overlook strengths. He suggested three reasons the focus needs to shift to strengths: (1) competence makes life most worth living;…

A socio-psychological analytical framework will be adopted to illuminate the relation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. The framework puts the emphasis to incorporate micro familial factors into macro factor of the tracking system. Initially, children of the poor families always lack major prerequisite: diminution of cognitive…

Economic inequality is high and rising in a number of developed countries, including in the United Kingdom and the United States. There are growing concerns that this may have negative implications for equality of opportunity, and the extent to which social disadvantage is transmitted across generations. It is widely believed that providing…

Within America's school systems, sometime between kindergarten and secondary education, a wide variation appears among the achievement levels of different children. The learning gap between high-achieving high schoolers and dropouts is certainly no secret to educators. Huge sums of federal funds and foundation support have been injected into K-12…

Behavioural and emotional problems occur more frequently in children with learning problems than in a cross-section of the general population, both at home and at school. While behaviour problems reportedly are a key obstructive factor impeding inclusive education, children with both behavioural and learning disabilities carry a high risk of…

Since 1997 Uganda has seen a large increase in school enrolment. Despite this increased enrolment, universal education has remained elusive. Many children enrol in school, but not at the recommended age, and they drop out before completing school. This article focuses on one of these problems--delayed school entry. What household factors are…

Objective: To examine cognitive and psychosocial factors associated with high school dropout in urban adolescents with and without childhood ADHD. Method: In a longitudinal study, 49 adolescents/young adults with childhood ADHD and 44 controls who either dropped out or graduated from high school are included. Risk factors examined as potential…

This collection of research reports explores teaching cognitive skills to at-risk students. Focus includes the following: (1) broad issues guiding the research; (2) historical perspective; (3) student characteristics; (4) student needs; (5) research on teaching thinking and problem solving; (6) teacher training; and (7) instructional and…

An interdisciplinary research study is suggested following a review of the more significant studies that have been attempted to explain the degree of educational retardation of the Mexican American as related to such factors as life stresses (e.g., economic deprivation) and learning styles. This study would be a combination of survey research…

Describes a study that assessed the contribution of schooling to cognitive development by comparing the cognitive development for high school graduates and dropouts over a two-year period. Reports that the cognitive skills of students who stay in school improve more than those of dropouts and that dropping out harms disadvantaged students most.…

Although much has been written about the ineffectiveness of schools in imparting cognitive skills, there is little reliable knowledge by which to judge such claims. While the typical school effectiveness study focuses on variation in educational outcomes between organizational units, there have been few studies which compared "school"…

Discussing the "characteristics" of Alaskan Native students presents a serious danger-the problem of overgeneralization and stereotyping. Covering educational programs designed for Native children, the ANNA Project Appendix discusses: (1) cognitive and social strengths of the students; (2) educational problems such as academic…

This book outlines specific treatment intervention and prevention strategies that address the full spectrum of dysfunctional behavior. It introduces structured intervention strategies for school and community collaboration with an emphasis on remediation and treatment. Educators and helping professionals will find counseling strategies and…